One Wish for the Damned
by penguinfighter-d-chan
Summary: Robert Langdon becomes involved in something way over his head as he searches for not only the reasons for a recent grotesque death in Harvard, but for a way to save himself from a fate worse than that of death...almost a novelization fanfic, COMPLETE!
1. Ira

One wish

I

A man grotesquely murdered by his own relative…  
A woman tortured into insanity by her closest friend…  
All within a two block perimeter…

The evening was as lovely as the city air allowed. But it was not welcoming in the brisk winter nights in Harvard, as Robert Langdon soon discovered when he stepped out of the conference room. He was surprisingly caught off-guard by the gale that swept the hall. His normal Tweed jacket provided much-needed protection to his body, but his folios were another story as the fierce wind swept the papers away. He cursed himself as he chased some of the documents. _This weather is unpredictable these days…_After a short while; he had recovered all but one.

He looked around and found it with a young man holding. This young man had black straight hair that reached his thighs with shocking blue bangs. His slightly pale skin appeared even more pallid with the light above him and the black clothes he donned. The professor then hurried to the lad and asked, "Can I have that back?" The young man quietly handed the manuscript over then Robert hastily put it away.

Suddenly he grabbed Langdon's arm, with an unknown stronghold grip, ripped the white sleeve. Just before he could react, Langdon felt as if every drop of life had just been drained. He could faintly make out what had happened, the stranger had bitten him all the way to his veins and drops of his blood fell to the pristine floor. He felt the pulse quicken, the ephedrine rushing into his brain, the fight-or-flight instinct took hold and he chose to fight. He kicked the young man in his abdomen, knocking the attacker into the wall. The whole incident lasted a few seconds but now the young man took again an attack pose. They stared at each other's eyes, Langdon's blue with his amber hazel, both with the will to fight.

"Art thou Robert Langdon?" the young man spoke with a thick accent that Langdon could not place.

"Yes, why?" he replied, keeping his guard up. "My master said that thou would be here…" "What the hell? What are you talking about?" "My master requests thy shall help her in her inquiry. She request that thou whilst join her in a banquet." The young attacker remained stalwart as he relayed his message. "Who is this master you talk about?" Langdon asked as he covered his wound with his other hand, dropping his folios.

"Nicholaos." Said that the young man ran and disappeared into the darkness of night. Langdon stood silent and began to roughly nurse his wound, but much to his surprise it had healed quite well. As he tried to make sense of what just happened, something from his past resurfaced, a dark memory of his childhood. _Nicholaos…where have I heard that name before?

* * *

_

A/N- Hi again! My firstRobert fic XD Will be continued because i did research for this story! Be nice and R&R


	2. Invidia

_II_

The sun dawned and with it fresh starts as it crept into the bedroom. Robert groaned as he drew the covers up his face. Last night was not easy and the daylight was not welcome. He unwillingly lifted himself and sat on his bed. His body was of that of a younger man, well formed and the rays of light doing him justice. The raven of his hair speckled with gray was the only denominator of his age, forty-two; he had the soul of half his age, matured with the bitter mistress that is experience.

Twice did he face death and twice he lived, once in Rome and the other France, or was it England? To be back in America seemed a welcomed change. And twice did he lose two women to his own heart, the daughter of a radical scientist, and the granddaughter of a grand master.

_Out of grief the goodness comes, love comes out of lusting._

Once a mysterious lady claimed this statement in a wedding ceremony Langdon was invited seven months before. He had stepped out for some air and she was apparently there first, and in the back of his mind, waiting for him. After saying this, she left and to his surprise, never returned to the reception.

But now he stared at his right forearm, where the young man had bitten now bandaged properly. It didn't matter the attack, it was the healing that worried him. Never in his life had he healed a wound so fast, even by his standards. He had never seen this before, except once but he dismissed it as his imagination. He then walked and got dressed for the next day of work. The wound was strangely prominent, even with his clothes, a light blue work shirt, his trademark Tweed jacket and black pants. _Don't think too much about it Robert. It's just a bite. The kid's probably one of those so-called Vampires. _He went off to get a quick breakfast and his materials. Somehow this didn't seem right to him.

* * *

On the other side of town, the young attacker rushed into the somber café, as if evading the inescapable sunlight. _Lady Nicholaos will be pleased that I delivered the message. We will finally obtain what the Original has left us. All we had to do was kill a man and a woman. _He thought as he entered through the densely draped glass door. "My brethren, the day is coming!" He exclaimed to the crowd inside. Pale faces all turned to see what this young one spoke. Their empty eyes spoke for them, _was it true? Was it time? _

"Kimera, is it true?" a blonde teenager, dressed in a pink tube top, light blue khakis and stiletto heels asked. The attacker, now Kimera, nodded as he kissed the girl passionately. An older man, at least 50, stood up.

"It's too easy, the woman survived her attack, she might report you to the authorities. And also, how would you know if the Lady is right to pick a random man?"

"Put a sock in it, Ferdinand; you're jealous that Kimera got to the target, instead of you. Besides, it wasn't random, the target's been in Lady Nicholaos' sights for a long time." The blonde replied, annoyed at the old man's intrusion.

"Is that so, Amelia? Then let us hope that Lady Nicholaos will lead us to the Original." Kimera then broke the embrace he had with the girl, now Amelia. "I know he's the right one, I tasted his blood." Kimera bragged with a toothy smile, apparently drawing the crowd to him. This was his moment of glory, and no brownnoser was going to ruin it.

* * *

_A/N: Second Chapter! w00t! Please R&R!_


	3. Superbia

III 

As Langdon prepared the lecture of the day, the wound began to pulsate lightly at first. He hissed a little but went on with receiving his students. As the morning class began, the pulsations got steadily worse, reopening the scar tissue and blood began to stain the white bandages, all causing bouts of pain for Langdon. But he went on with his class on pagan symbols. It was until a student noticed that the normally clean white board was spotted with strange red dots that the professor finally realized the wound was bleeding profusely. He excused himself from the classroom and ran towards a nearby bathroom.

He ripped the sleeve buttons open to see the bandages soaked in blood, and began to rinse it with the tap water from the faucet.

_What the hell is going on with me?_ Suddenly he heard a crashing from the entrance. He hid in one of the cubicles as two men entered the restroom, both with revolvers on their hands. He could hear them talk but he remained quiet.

One apparently was an addict of sort as his voice was jumpy and hysterical as he asked his partner.

"Man Kimera was awesome finding him out. Who knew he worked in this place? Waste of time, this place. But great place to grab a bite." The other one seemed much more logical, and much stronger than the first one.

He replied, "Shaddup, Terkin! We already shot a janitor and a cute li'l girl, I don't wanna shoot someone else." "Aw come one, you know you wanna kill someone else, Wolfren. You were the one to shoot the janitor first." The one called Terkin spat back, the glee clearly heard from where Langdon was hiding. _They killed someone here?_ He thought as he continued hearing the conversation.

"Man that Richard dude put up a fight, had to tear him limb from limb get him to shut up; he went on how I betrayed him, bullshit to me I said. Then I went…"Terkin rambled until the one called Wolfren shushed him. Langdon could hear the footsteps as Wolfren drew closer to what appeared to be the sink. Then a chill went up his spine, the bloody sink in which he had hastily tried to clean his wound. He heard Wolfren sniff something and then say, "I think we have a spy in here…" the hoarse voice stated, making Langdon's heart practically stop. "Ooh, where is it? I want to torture him!" Terkin wickedly squealed as Wolfren led him.

Then a door was smashed open, 3 cubicles away from where Langdon hid. Then it was two, as Wolfren tore down the next one. One more, Langdon thought of any way to hide from the impending death. There was no escape and the last door was smashed down. He could hear Terkin salivating as the footsteps drew to his door.

Wolfren then rammed the door open wit a force only compared to a bull. It swung open, revealing an empty cubicle. Both men entered and looked around, nothing. Terkin the shrugged disappointed and said, "Wolfren, you were hearing things…" "I didn't imagine this." The large black man responded as he showed his fingers, covered with some watered down blood. Terkin sniffed it as if it was crack and went into a sort of spasm, "It's…" "He's around here, I know it. C'mon." Wolfren ordered as he gave one more look around.

As they left sight range, Langdon sighed of relief, he couldn't hold on any longer. He dropped down onto the tiled floors from his hiding place, the ceiling. He had held himself with the high cement walls surrounding the cubicles. In his panic, he had jumped 10 feet into the ceiling as if it was nothing and held until Wolfren left. He looked at his wound, still bleeding, yet it did not cause him any more pain. Instead he was relieved that by some miracle, he had hidden from those psychopaths. _But what the hell were they talking about? _He thought as he cleared the bite; and better yet, _who did they kill?_

Langdon returned to his class, which had been substituted by Ms. Dewprey, a lively woman who, in Langdon's opinion, had her head in the clouds. She gladly accepted taking over his class when he had decided to call in sick. And maybe look around the premises for the supposedly murdered janitor. As he exited through the west, he headed to the main library, the last time he saw the janitor alive. _Maybe they were lying _he hoped as he continued to the gardens.

When he got there, he would not only lose that small hope but also his breakfast as he discovered what appeared to be a human finger. The images played back in his mind; the janitor struggling with the two individuals, getting shot and then being torn apart alive by the one named Terkin. Then a sickening thought entered his mind: if a finger was here, then a body is sure to found. Truth be told, it was hidden between two rather large bushes. Every part of the tortured soul laid waste, what was once his abdomen was now a ribcage and the gory remains of his heart concealed by the lush leaves. Langdon felt as if his body was about to collapse and what was left of his meal had gone up to his mouth. He dropped to the floor and looked up to the sky, looking for any answer, any reason for this murder. _Someone please help me._


	4. Luxuria

_I keep forgetting to do this but _

_Langdon is not mine, he belongscoughsneezevittoriacoughsneeze Dan Brown and i derive no monetary gain...justplaying and writing no flaming so suing my ass off ok?

* * *

_

_IV_

It was nightfall and Langdon remained in his home. The image of the murdered man haunted his mind with photographic detail. He had informed the local police about the corpse and led them to where he had found it. The police immediately drew their infamous black bags and slowly picked up the pieces as the sergeant interrogated Langdon. As they did so, a crowd of students and teacher grouped around the yellow tape, hoping to see what was all the commotion about.

The forgiving moon lit the landscape as the man looked through the window. The willowy grass comforted him a little. Indirectly, he began to feel guilty for the death; those two were looking for him. After all, it was his blood that drove Terkin temporarily insane. Langdon sat down on a Victorian chair to collect his thoughts. As he drifted off to sleep, his mind began working itself into a grotesque vision:

_A wandering soul in the grimy streets in a medieval European town, limping from side to side. He could see it stumble onto the poorly tiled road. _

_The pitiful creature moaned in a language he couldn't place, all he could understand was its plight. As he tried to help the man, he was dragged away to a massive castle._

_He was undressed and forced to wear the noble's garments. Then he was pushed into a ballroom to dance awkwardly with all the others. One lady took him by his hand and began to waltz for him. He couldn't see her face but with her red eyes pierced through his soul as she mouthed:_

"_I gave you life once again, now you will repay the favor…" _

_Suddenly many nobles panicked while others preyed upon the terrified people; tearing them apart literally at their bodies' seams, devouring their flesh. As he tried to stop it, the lady held him in a stranglehold and whispered with a malicious smile:_

"_I gave you life once again, now you will repay the favor…Robert Langdon"_

"_Nicholaos?"_

The man sprang from his resting place with a cold sweat trickling his face. As fantastical as the dream was, it felt real. Every smell, every touch still tingled along his skin. He looked around for a clock, anything to relate the hour. It was 4: 34 am and the first rays of light were seeping through the nightly darkness. He looked at his limited edition Mickey Mouse watch that sat on top of his bedside table. The glowing image was a relaxing sight, a reminder of days long since past. He walked down the flight of stairs and as if by instinct, flicked on the television. He half-expected static, especially at this hour, but instead there were breaking news:

MAN FOUND BRUTALLY MURDERED, MORE AT 6

These would only cause a minimal stir in Langdon's mind; people do die anyways. Until the news crew snuck a view of the corpse. His heart fell to his feet, the familiar nausea returned; this victim was torn apart just like the deceased Harvard custodian. 'Let the police handle it' was the more reasonable option yet it didn't satisfy Langdon. _They'd take too long and miss the connection! _He looked at his nursing wound; it was now safely pain-free. In his mind or more likely his gut, he knew both murders were connected and finding the persons named Terkin and Wolfren would be instrumental.

Suddenly, Langdon's head began to throb as if he was being slammed into the walls and the kitchen countertop. He held on to the edge and fell to his knees, gasping for air.

_Hello Robert…_ a sultry feminine voice rang in his head.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing to me!" Robert managed to say between bouts of breaths.

_My name is not important, what is important is that you come to our ball…I trust Kimera delivered the message._ The voice continued, the hypnotic tone seducing the ailing man.

"Message?" Then Langdon remembered the incident with the young man. "Are you Nicholaus?"

An unknown force picked up Langdon and sent him flying to the east wall, smashing the glass cupboard, shattered crystals piercing his back.

_I prefer you refer to me as Lady Nicholaus; it is a lot healthier. _

Robert then felt invisible hands touch his face; light and feathery…sensual. This brought up feral moans from his throat.

_You are to meet with me; Robert Langdon and you shall have more than you would ever dream._

The momentary daze in his eyes dissipated as the female voice left his mind. Slowly, reality set back _I'm going insane and I'm stuck in my own cupboard bleeding to death…damn _he thought as he pried off a large shard from his forearm. Then the bigger shock came as the wound closed itself in front of his very eyes. He then removed himself from the rest of the wreck. The wounds began to heal and by the time Langdon could stand up, most of the gashes had become mere scratches. In fear or either shock, he looked at his hands. _What is going on?

* * *

_

A/N: Fourth Chapter! Remember to review! XD 


	5. Memories

_Disclaimer (so you people don't go suing my ass)_

_Langdon and Vittoria aww! are Dan Brown's property not mine_

_Kimera and Lady Nicholaus are mine

* * *

_

_V_

Meanwhile, in a foreign laboratory, a tired woman was sorting data.

_Dio Mio, this is so damn boring._

Her normally loose long hair was tied in a flimsy ponytail, her brown eyes glazed with insomnia. Her olive skin took a pallid color against the computer's glow. Besides her was a photograph of a bouncy little girl and her equally playful father.

_Father…_ she thought, remembering her dearly departed father.

The way he was taken from her was a horrible one but in retrospect, it brought her something quite unexpected for the physicist…love.

Their relationship had been weathered down by distance, yet Vittoria Vetra still woke up from dreamless nights, hoping he was there. He had survived for her and saved her (and the rest of Rome) from a grisly and untimely end. CERN had given her a new project, despite the Vatican City fiasco that separated them and placed her in the farthest she could ever be from her beloved.

_I wish I could see him again. _She whispered as she dozed off.

_Then we'd better get going_ a raspy male said from behind.

By the time she reacted, it was too late. Her unconscious body was placed in the back seat of a sedan as black as the Swiss night that befell them. The young man smiled, his canines glistening to the faint light.

_Don't you worry princess, Kimera will make your trip a comfortable one; we don't want the lady to be displeased _he thought maliciously as he got to the driver's seat and floored the accelerator.

* * *

A/N: Yes, very short but still a semi cliffhanger (not! XP) Review! 


	6. Raphael and Nicholaus

_A/N-Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are not mine...they're Dan Brown's property so no suing my ass ok? _

_Damn this one's long! Hope you enjoy reading it asI en__joyed writing it

* * *

_

_VI_

Robert woke up slowly, last night seemed a blur to him. Yet, still fresh in his mind, was the seducing voice of Nicholaus. Her voice had bespelled his body, numbing it, making it lust uncontrollably against his own free will. He looked at the hour, 6:59 am. The mysterious lady wanted to see him by sunset, giving him some 12 hours before the planned ball supposedly in his honor. Not enough time to track Terkin or Wolfren but enough to cook up a plan.

_Apparently this Nicholaus needs me for something…but what could I possibly help a woman who can lift me up and throw me like a doll with just her mind? _

"Pretty astounding, huh?" Robert twirled around to find whoever made that remark, although painfully from the previous night's substantial wounds.

"Hey, hey; don't do that! You'll probably hurt yourself even more." The disembodied voice commented as it revealed itself to the anguishing professor. It came from a youthful young man, his ash blonde hair tied in a braid that stretched along its back, his clothes were of light color, his eyes a wonderful shade of honey.

"Who are you?" Langdon mustered up as the stranger helped him.

"Name's Raphael." It said as the professor gained back the ability to stand. "Don't wear yourself out, old man!" he chided with a youthful grin.

"Hey, who are you calling old?" Robert replied.

"Yeah you're right. It's just that you mortals age so easily…"

Robert drew a knife to the stranger.

"What do you mean 'mortals'?" he inquired, the blade dangerously close to the young man's throat.

"Sorry 'bout that; I forgot to mention I was an angel." He responded, still grinning. Raphael then drew back and revealed a pair of magnificent wings to prove Langdon. The stunned man dropped the knife _Holy shit, I'm either gone off the deep end or I'm face to face with a seraph…_

"Actually archangel; I'm not that high up on the food chain." Raphael said sheepishly. He saw Robert's distrusting glare. "Aw c'mon! I'm on your side, the good guys! Jeez! What else do I need to do to prove I'm an angel!" A moment of silence the Robert spoke "You look too young to be an angel."

"Yeah, I have what you guys call a baby-face…" Raphael commented, his pallid-yet-healthy complexion now a slight tinge of pink. Robert smiled slightly; _even angels have something to be embarrassed about._

"Why are you here? And why are you in my house?" he asked.

"At first to check out some ruckus that my boss, Sefirot, had noticed for a while 'round these parts. Mighty coincidence that all three incidents have your name smacked-dabbed in the middle." Raphael explained as he helped himself to some of Robert's Nestlé Quik, eating the powder mix with a spoon.

Now Robert felt sheepish. _Aw crap; the Vatican City and the Sang Real incidents come back to haunt me…_

"Oh don't worry 'bout those; my other boss Malachite saw you good, you have a good heart and soul." The angel replied, licking the spoon clean. "What we've got now is more local, more around your area, Langdon." It didn't surprise Robert that the so-called angel knew his name.

"Nicholaus has already demonstrated her existence to you, meaning she's already infected you." Raphael thought out loud, never turning away from Langdon's stare. "Infected me?"

"A vampire cannot establish a connection with a human unless she or he has been bitten by her or the human has Dhampir blood running through his or her veins." The androgynous being explained somberly. Robert remembered the bite the young man had placed. _Ok, turns out I was wrong; vampires are real and I got bitten by one_ "And by the looks of your forearm, I'd say it was the former." Raphael continued, pointing at the bandaged arm.

"But that was Nicholaus' first mistake; she infected a mere Harvard professor when she could've easily had the mayor which was only a couple of doors away."

"Watch it."

Then Raphael looked at his wristwatch. "Well, I'll be off."

"Say what? Aren't you supposed to help me?" Langdon replied, perplexed.

"Hey you solved a couple of brain teasers without my help in the past, this should be cake compared those two incidents." Raphael smirked mischievously. "But I can give you a hint:

Nicholaus wronged a woman not too far and not too long ago. She's your only hope and paradox at the same time. She is the one who screams curses at night while the audience is already numbed by their own demons that lull their minds to dream while walking."

"If you can figure out who and where she is, MAYBE she can help you a bit more" Raphael concluded as he stepped outside and opened his wings against the rising sun.

"Could you be any clearer?" Langdon asked before Raphael could take flight.

"I could but I can't, my bosses would think it would be too easy and we all know you like a challenge, Mr. Langdon." Raphael responded as he lifted himself to the air. "Don't worry I'll come back!"

Langdon remained on the spot for a while, trying to think of any immediate solution for the poorly composed riddle the archangel had left him.

_Could you be any more vague?_ He thought as he entered his home.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kimera had just arrived at The Lost Souls Café with a most peculiar package. Every one of the dark café drew their attentions to the sleeping woman. Her heartbeat was heard on each of their ears, arousing a hunger and lust within each one of them.

"Sorry kiddos, this is Lady Nicholaus'; you might as well get your own tonight." He claimed, smiling as he removed some her hairs from her delicate neck.

_Something so beautiful yet so very fragile…_Kimera thought as he laid his hands onto her collarbone as if in a choking manner. He knew the simple fact; mortal bones are extremely prone to even the slightest fracture.

"Get your grubby paws off her." A familiar voice said from behind, scolding Kimera's unrequited actions.

"Ferdinand, please; I was making our guest more comfortable." The younger creature replied. "Besides, I'm not the senile one…I can see right through you; you want to rape her too. At least with me, she wouldn't press any charges. Rather, knowing these humans, she would be asking for more." Ferdinand became so enraged he immediately left the area.

_Yeah, that's right you old fart; I'm the new top dog and nothing's going to take away the pleasure of seeing you bow down to me.

* * *

_

A/N- Sixth chapter! w00t! remember to review! X3 


	7. Hope and Paradox

_A/N: Robert Langdon doesn't belong to me, he's Dan Brown's property

* * *

_

VII

Langdon sat down and hastily wrote down the riddle on a scrap paper.

_Nicholaus wronged a woman not too far and not too long ago. She's your only hope and paradox at the same time. She is the one who screams curses at night while the audience is already numbed by their own demons that lull their minds to dream while walking_

_I don't have 'til nightfall to find out! _Robert thought, looking at his watch; Mickey read 8:01 am. 10 hours until sunset. _Assuming Lady Nicholaus wrongs people personally, then that woman should be in a hospital. _He thought, looking at his forearm.

_Hope and Paradox…oh God, wordplay. Both contradict each other in a literal sense, so that's no use…_

The phone rang, breaking his train of thought.

"Robert Langdon speaking."

It was a familiar voice, Mrs. Dewprey with her usual cheery tone.

"Good morning, Mr. Langdon! I was wondering if you would call in sick."

_Hmm, let's review the last 12 hours; I was cradled and thrown around by a possible vampires, an angel left me a cryptic-as-hell clue to a wronged victim and I'll probably become worm chow when the Sun goes down…what's handling a day of class?_

"I really can't say." He replied, half-annoyed at the events to come.

"Oh all right then! We'll send someone over to your class and cover you!" Dewprey responded as she hung up.

_That woman could give anyone a headache if given the chance…wait, what was that line again? "the audience is already numbed by their own demons that lull their minds to dream while walking" That's sounds like a mental hospital…_

It struck him, Hope and paradox did refer to the name of the hospital.

_The Filmore Hope Institution! The name is the paradox, it contradicts itself! That place is for chronic cases of schizophrenia and trauma! "To help those who are lost within society" _

Langdon hurriedly grabbed the phone receiver and dialed the number.

"Filmore Hope Institution, we help those who are lost within society; how may I help you?" a female voice responded with a slight boredom in her manner.

"Yes, I'd like to locate a person, an aunt if you will." Langdon inquired, relieved that he was right. "She was institutionalized quite recently, but I can't seem to find her."

"Sir, you must be more specific. We get at least 5 women a day for domestic violence, rape and other assaults, not to mention those who are diagnosed…" the attendant explained, her New York accent pining away at the man's patience.

_All right Robert, if you were a vampire WHICH I AM NOT for the moment, how would you "wrong" a woman without having to touch her?_

"I'm looking for a patient who has suffered major psychological trauma and is currently on active treatment." He fibbed, hoping for a response.

"Symptoms please?"

_She is the one who screams curses "…_She screams and is aggressive to any of her relatives."

A moment of silence followed, which seemed an eternity for Langdon.

"Yes, we have such a patient; her name is Delilah Sampson, age 37. She's here all right." The attendant said. "What did you say your relation was with her?"

_Oops, she's younger than me! _"I apologize if I said aunt; I meant cousin. Her mother is here and she requested that I go visit her" Langdon lied, _please buy it…_

"We'll get her ready for your arrival, sir." The attendant concluded before hanging up.

Langdon sighed of relief; it had worked. _Interesting name she's got. _He surmised, referring to the biblical Delilah and Sampson in which the woman had been the antagonist and the man had become the victim. He then sprinted to the upstairs of his home, bathed and readied himself for the visit.

It took 30 minutes from his home to the psychiatric institution, time which Robert used to think over what he was about to face. _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, _he thought. He had briefly practiced his lie, hopefully convincing enough to trick the attendants. _No time like the present._ He thought as he parked the car.

At the reception, there were two nurses; both bored probably to near dementia _Great place to be bored crazy. _Robert mused.

"Yes, I'd like to visit ms. Delilah Sampson, I called earlier." He said. The younger nurse scanned Langdon, giving him a seductive look. The older nurse stood up and replied "Come this way." She said as she led him through the double doors.

* * *

A/N: Seventh chapter, uploading this real quick Reviews are most appreciated. 


	8. Amelia

_A/N: Robert Langdon is not mine, he's Dan Brown's property

* * *

_

VIII

All around Langdon were tormented souls as he and his guide walked through the aesthetically clean hall, each a mere shell of their past selves. In a couple, he could see the searing scars of suicide attempts, deep bruises of overpowering spouses, and the bottomless abyss of insanity. When they finally stopped, Langdon wouldn't be surprised if he saw another gash or prominent bones from the mal nutrition.

Delilah Sampson looked quite disturbed; her hair tussled, her green eyes glazed with a childish ignorance or so it seemed. "Ms. Sampson, here's your cousin to see you." The older nurse announced. Delilah looked up and met her eyes with Robert's. She smiled sheepishly and replied, "He's not a cousin…I should know, I killed him."

Robert paled, _Oh shit, now what I am supposed to do?_ Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry 'bout her; she says that to everyone who comes along. Go on and talk to her." The nurse assured as she left.

Robert nodded slightly as he closed the compartment curtain.

"Why are you here, mister?" Delilah asked as she studied her guest.

"Ms. Sampson; I know this might sound difficult but I need to talk about a woman named Lady Nicholaus." Robert explained while he sat on the visitor's chair.

"Amelia used to talk about her." She replied, smiling as she looked down.

"Amelia?"

"Yes, my Amelia…we were…how do you Republicans call it, intimate roommates."

"I see. So, what happened to Amelia?"

"She always said I was a bad person, that I should've obeyed her. She said that for disobeying her that I had to kill to satisfy her." Delilah continued as if it was nothing.

"Delilah, what connection did Amelia have with Lady Nicholaus?" Robert implied as he checked his watch; it read 8:47 am.

"I don't know but she always came home all bloody…y'know she was the one who found me after I killed my parents."

_Could be a lie _Robert thought, looking at the bruises in her wrist. "Delilah, what happened that dragged you all the way here? Did Amelia do this to you?"

Suddenly, Delilah stood up and with cat-like speed, took hold of Langdon's throat, her nails driving deeper into his windpipe. Her face was still blank, which terrified Robert, never revealing what was going on inside.

"You'd better not insult my Amelia again, you worthless shitbag, or I'll kill you." She said, digging deeper into his throat. Then she let go, letting Robert catch his breath. "Amelia rescued me from…me" she concluded, her blank smile returning to her dehydrated lips.

"I'll keep that in mind. Sorry to have disturbed you." Langdon replied, covering his wounds that began to regenerate. _Don't wanna scare her into thinking I'm a monster. _With that thought, he paled. _I am becoming a monster…_ he shook his head. _No, I'm not; monsters aren't real, at least I hope._

With that behind him, he left a small bouquet of flowers on Delilah's bedside table. "By any chance, do you know where this Lady Nicholaus lives or even hangs out?" he inquired one last time before he exited. Amelia merely gave a nod as she sat alongside the brightly sun-lit window.

"The abandoned activity center and the old St. John's cathedral near the port. You can't miss it." She responded, looking out the window.

"Thank you." Robert said as he left the institution.

_Lady Nicholaus did wrong Delilah all right, through this Amelia she kept talking about._

"Sad, ain't it?" a familiar voice sprang as Robert headed for his car. It was Langdon's attacker, drinking strong vodka in one hand and what seemed like a bloody paper bag on the other. Langdon readied himself but was startled by the cynical laughter of the young man.

"I see you escaped Terkin and Wolfren…guess you're not as feeble as they claimed. You definitely are a handful." Kimera smirked.

"Did you follow me?"

"Hell yeah; you're no fun. All you mortals do nowadays is a freaking routine!"

"Sorry to disappoint you." Robert chided as he began to back away.

Suddenly Kimera disappeared, stunning Langdon for a second.

"I know you're itching for a fight, mortal; I can smell the adrenaline from here." The monster's voice whispered; Langdon could feel his breath and dead lips in his ears. He landed a powerful shove into Kimera's stomach, making him lose his balance.

"Nice reflexes too. No wonder the Lady took a liking to you." Kimera groaned, slightly limping. His malevolent grin showed he was amused by Langdon's attempt at self-defense

"I thought you couldn't step out into the Sun." Robert stated, backing a little from the man.

"Quite…yet after drinking your blood, I found out the hard way that the rule didn't apply to me." Kimera responded, bowing in a mocking fashion to his opponent. "Many thanks."

For a moment, Langdon studied the paper bag; looked like it had a fist-sized lump inside that made a disgusting muffled beat. _Oh dear God no…_

"That's right kiddo; just my addition the body count…" Kimera grinned as he confirmed the professor's fears. Little did he notice, Langdon was halfway into landing a right hook, landing it on the jaw. A crowd began to collect as Kimera stumbled to the floor not from pain but from the shock.

_A mere MORTAL hit me! ME!_ For the first time in 247 years, he was looking towards a mortal, he was on his knees to this unknown blood bag!

Kimera jumped to his feet and, with one kick, sent Langdon to a street post. The crowd dispersed, fearful of what the younger man could do to them, as he picked up the older opponent. His amber eyes glowed rage as he held Robert at least 2 feet in the air and growled at him

"No mortal has ever dared lay a hand on me…"

Robert grinned, wincing from the pain from his back, "Glad to be the first."

Kimera slammed him to the post again, a slight moan coming out of Langdon's mouth. He roughly drew his mouth to his victim's neck, yet he stopped.

_Kimera, desist what you are doing. I let you have a bite and no more; he's mine_

…_Yes, Lady Nicholaus…_

"Don't do it again…Lady Nicholaus won't protect you forever and the moment she's done with you, you're dead." Kimera threatened as he let go of Robert, his degrading glare drilling into the man's psyche.

As he left, he was surprised when Robert replied, "I'll look forward the day I remove that grin off your face."

Kimera was so enraged, yet his orders stood. He sprinted off into the crowd, cursing Langdon in Basque. Somehow, Robert knew that this wouldn't be last time he'd have a skirmish with that bastard.

* * *

A/N: Eighth Chapter! w00t! Reviews are appreciated! 


	9. Rest

_A/N: Langdon's not mine he's dan brown's property

* * *

_

IX

_Guess I'm not everyone's favorite anymore_ Robert thought as he tried to stand up from the street.

"Whoa! You've got balls to do that! Standing up to a vamp like that; I don't think Touki could've done that!" a cheery voice exclaimed as its owner helped Langdon up. The professor smiled weakly.

"Aren't you supposed to protect me?"

"Hey, I'm not your guardian angel." The voice affirmed.

Raphael had come to Langdon's help, yet the man couldn't help but wonder if he was different somehow. Instead of flowing clothes, he had a black turtleneck shirt whose sleeves were rolled up to the elbow. On top of the shirt was a gun holster, very much loaded.

"Aren't you angels NOT supposed to kill?"

"Oh we don't kill, but after a couple of incidents, the bureau allowed us field angels to pack one of these babies." Raphael explained as he took out a .40 revolver gun.

"That better be a novelty" Langdon remarked as the archangel handed him a small pastry for him to eat.

Raphael put away the weapon and dragged the man to a bench. He didn't know much about humans, but he knew that they needed rest, especially after a major injury. "So did you find out anything from Delilah?"

"Yeah, she and her girlfriend have a wicked temper." Langdon smiled as he took a bite from the snack. "I found out Lady Nicholaus' hideout."

"Really? Where is it?" Raphael asked excitedly, sitting down beside the man. Robert found this joy a bit peculiar.

"St. John's cathedral at the docks. Now take me home so I can write my last will." He responded as a cloud of suspicion entered his mind. "How did you get this case, Raphael?"

"…As an angel, I must always be truthful but because I have yet to know you in a personal scale I will not tell you. All I can say is that I have a personal grudge against Lady Nicholaus." The angel explained, his childish face turning somber. Langdon could see in his eyes excruciating pain in them. _Wow, even him? This is getting too big for me…_he thought.

"…You have to go and meet with her, Langdon."

"I know…maybe she can reverse whatever is going with my body." The professor added, revising his watch, which read 9:56 am. "Are you coming with me?"

"Sorry, my powers are weakened by night." Raphael answered, his head facing the ground.

"It's all right; I'll manage." Then Robert began to chuckle, "I've taken down two assassins, that better count for something." He smirked.

Raphael felt at ease, even with his precarious situation. The mortal's deep voice reminded him of his missing sibling…his older brother Barachiel. The mortal was practically a parallel to him, a fact that comforted Raphael and thanked God for being assigned to field duty. It had been already 2 years since his disappearance, and as if by destiny, the Nicholaus case surfaced with the biggest lead within this man's involvement. The only condition was that he could only help when it was needed, Sefirot explained.

_Let him think on his own…_his voice rang in Raphael's mind. _Don't worry, we'll find Barachiel._

"Well, c'mon; lunch traffic's gonna start and…WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY CAR!" Langdon yelled as he saw the wreck that was once his car.

* * *

Inside the Filmore Hope Institution, two pairs of eyes stared down the pair as they looked for logic.

"Thanks for telling me 'bout the spy, Delilah." One said from behind the shadows.

"I thought you might've liked it…Amelia, when does my reward come? I wanna get out of here." The softer voice replied.

"Soon Delilah, soon." The sinister being assured as she left.

* * *

A/N:9th chapter! Review are appreciated! 


	10. First Flight

_A/N: Langdon's not mine, he's Dan Brown's so no suing my ass

* * *

_

X

Langdon stood wide-eyed as his only means of transportation lay in ruins. The metal frame was twisted and mangled like a crane had decided to play with it. The shattered glass laid spread along the tiled streets, glistening against the sun.

"I'm not too familiar with mortal customs or technology, but I think that is bad?" Raphael innocently proposed, not too aware of these events.

Langdon only stared at the scrap.

"Yeah, Raphael, that's bad. It means that I can't go home or to my 'date' with Lady Nicholaus." The stunned professor explained, kneeling down to see if anything was salvageable. No dice.

"Well, we go to your house the same way I got here." Raphael thought out loud.

"Yeah, whatever; just get me home." Robert replied, his mind somewhere else.

Raphael smiled joyfully as he exclaimed "Ok! But it's a bumpy flight considering the wind patterns…" and grabbed Langdon's arm

_Nice of Raphael to offer me a ride…Wait, he never said, "ride" per se…How the hell did he…oh no._

It was all ready too late; Raphael had dragged him into a back alley, hidden from view.

"Just hold on real tight and don't look down." The angel explained as he loosened the gun holster.

"Raphael, I don't that's such a good idea." Langdon protested while Raphael held on tightly to his hand.

"I've done this hundreds of times, Robert, and I have yet to lose a passenger." The angel assured.

"What if I fall?"

"We'll never know unless we take off."

Langdon shut his eyes close, holding on to the archangel's hands. Suddenly, he felt nothing holding him down. He felt as if gravity was null and the strong gusts of air hitting his face. He opened his eyes and below his dangling feet was the city.

"Holy shit!" was the only thing he could exclaim, his ears already popping due to the altitude.

"How do you like it?" Raphael asked, grinning as Robert took in the vista. The people looked like toy figures, bustling about with their business. "Whoa, cloud ahead!" the angel announced as his wings flapped harder. Langdon, on the other hand, got a faceful of the clouds; the droplets landing swiftly onto his face.

_Dear God, don't let this be a dream…_he wished in the back of his mind.

"Hey Robert, wanna play something?" Raphael inquired, a mischievous smile growing on his face.

"Whaddya mean?"

All together too fast, Raphael let go, letting Langdon free fall. Langdon's heart began to race as he felt gravity once again push him down to his demise.

_Everything that goes up must come down_

Inside a skyscraper, a bored secretary was looking absently to the window when a blur fell down. The woman stood up and ran to the window,

_That definitely looked like a man!_

Outside, just before his body could hit the ground, Langdon was picked up again and continued his flight. His vehicle was having an exhilarant fit of laughter.

"You could've killed me!" Langdon yelled airily.

"You're no fun!" Raphael exclaimed happily. "We've got hours to burn before you meet the lady…let's play a while!"

_Well sure he can play his little game HE HAS WINGS FOR GOD'S SAKE! Then again…_

"Sure, let's play. Just not too close-cut." Langdon said, his smile showing a bit of worry.

The game went on; Raphael tossing, Langdon spinning or somersaulting or anything the push allowed him to do for 30 seconds until Raphael caught him again. They went on until the sun reached the noon mark. After a few minutes, they were on the professor's Victorian home.

Langdon felt every cell of his body rejuvenated, his age and troubles no longer present at the moment. He had truly flown, not like an airplane but truly experienced flight. His hands still shaking from the adrenaline of each jump, each moment in the air. Raphael had given him, at least for small bouts of time, the gift of flight.

"Guess it's back to the real world." Raphael stated, his voice filled with sadness yet with a joyful expression.

_Aw come on, don't ruin the moment…_

Raphael then walked over to his companion. He opened his gun holster and handed his .40 to the man. "You'd better take it for now. It's got 16 rounds so use it sparingly. And don't think that with a mere shot to the head you'll be able to take out Lady Nicholaus."

"But don't you need this? Especially with that monster, Kimera, able to walk around in the sun?" Langdon asked, pushing the weapon back to Raphael.

"Kimera can only last a very short amount of time outside. You need to rest up; better men have gone against her and end up either being buried in Tupperware or becoming her minions." The angel explained, giving Robert the gun.

"Between dying and being her slave, I pick the Tupperware funeral." Langdon replied sarcastically, putting away the gun in a light coat.

"I'll come back to pick you up by 8 tomorrow morning. Be sure to be alive by then."

"I'll try."

As Raphael left, he couldn't help but give his new partner a piece of advice; "If she tempts you, remember this, you'll be a prisoner of your own body and will wish nothing but death. And when that time comes…well, let's just say hell will have an opening for you."

_Interesting side note_ "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Langdon stated, grinning.

As the angel took flight, Robert couldn't help but watch him until he was out of sight. He checked his Mickey Mouse watch, it read 12:34 pm.

_Six hours 'til Showtime.

* * *

_

A/N: Holy shiat...10 chapters...Reviews are greatly appreaciated XD 


	11. Arrival

_A/N: Robert Langdon and Silas are not mine, they're Dan Brown so no suing

* * *

_

XI

The sun died majestically in pink and orange hues as the pendulum struck 5: 30 pm. Langdon was awaiting Raphael's return. Instead, a much older being had come down to greet him. His flowing silver hair rippled against the soon-approaching night winds that struck a painful memory in Langdon.

_The Opus Dei monk…Silas…The Sang Real…_

"Robert Langdon, are you ready?" the angel's strict voice snapped the man back to reality. His sapphire-green eyes left an impression in Langdon's mind.

"Yes."

"Then let us be off." The angel stated as he outstretched his hand. Langdon held to it and immediately was off the ground. The moribund sun began to give out as they flew to the ports.

"Where's Raphael?"

"He said he would pick you up at dawn, we are very strict with our schedules." The angel explained his eyes firmly on the horizon.

"Could you at least tell me your name?" Langdon asked as he looked down at Harvard underneath his feet. He could see his colleagues walking out of the classroom management assembly.

_At least something good came out of this_…

"I am Sefirot, a Dominion."

Robert stood in awe as he finally got a good look at his vehicle. Six radiant wings flapped majestically as the body radiated against the darkening sky. Langdon was perplexed; this so-called Dominion didn't look like the resident theologian once rambled on about.

"I thought Dominions were supposed to be wheels with lots of eyes?"

"That would be a Throne, I am below them. Now let us focus on the present situation." Sefirot stated somberly.

"Why is this a big deal?" Robert asked as the horizon began to change from solid ground to the coasts.

"That is not your concern. You are only the medium, not a real player…"

Suddenly, Robert let go of Sefirot's hand and fell into the void. Sefirot was startled by the surprise action.He dived, looking to catch Robert before he hit the ground.

_Bastard!_

_

* * *

Meanwhile…_

The old Activity center was lit up for a very special occasion, creatures bustling about. Inside were many sinful festivities drawn upon the floor. The main event was about to begin. Terkin was already half full as he went over to his companion Wolfren.

"Pretty nice suaré, huh?" the lunatic commented. The larger man merely nodded in response. The object of his attention was the two ladies in the main hall, one his master and the other one the bait.

Lady Nicholaus was applying some make-up onto the other's face, like a child playing dress-up with her doll.

"Oh miss Vittoria, you'll look lovely in this shade of red." She stated as she dabbed some onto her doll's smooth lips.

"Why are you doing this to me? What do you want?" Vittoria strained herself to say. After she had awoken in America for some unknown reason, she was whisked away into this woman's room. As soon as she looked straight into her ruby eyes, Vittoria lost all control of her own body. She was in and out of consciousness without any apparent physical damage and every day her captor would dress her up in extravagant dresses quite out of the era.

"Oh, don't worry about those little details, sweetheart. Everything will clear up soon enough." The lady concluded, giving Vittoria the last touches. "My, look at you; you look positively beautiful!"

Indeed, Vittoria was like a porcelain doll; her face accentuated in subtle strategic points, her dress hailing her petit frame especially her breasts. Her long dark hair flowed freely with the hem of her Victorian-style dress.

"Thank you, but I still don't understand."

Lady Nicholaus smiles devilishly and whispered in Vittoria's ears, "I'll let you in on a little secret." She then murmured in a foreign language. Vittoria suddenly felt void, falling to the ground, but not before being caught by Kimera.

"Her body should obey us now…do as you please while the guest of honor arrives. Rape her, if you will." The woman ordered while Kimera bowed down.

"M'lady, I thank you deeply for this reward…" the monster thanked, taking pleasure at the envious glares Ferdinand gave him. "But I must ask, what did you do to her?" he continued, looking into Vittoria's empty gaze.

A small giggle slipped out of the lady as she said, "I locked her up in her own mind." The pendulum struck 5: 40 pm, alerting everyone who was working to pick up the pace. Lady Nicholaus gleamed at the rising moon; her first blow was about to begin and by the looks of things, it was going to be a massive one…all because of a miscarried and scarred man.

_I gave you life once again, now you will repay the favor…Robert Langdon_

* * *

Somewhere in a farplane where man could never reach, Raphael began reviewing some of Barachiel's old files.

_Never hurts to review…_he learned that from Langdon after watching him work through both incidents. He pulled back his hair as he accessed some dusty files. One caught his eye and he pulled it out. He skimmed it and found a peculiar cut-out:

MIRACLE BOY IN HOSPITAL DUE TO MASSIVE BLOODLOSS, PARENTS PRAY FOR DONOR

Raphael took it out and read what followed. He stood stunned about the medical records that came next.

* * *

Sefirot dived at 45 miles per hour, nearly missing his target. The obstinate mortal glare remained the same even after a 1000-foot drop from the heavenly body.

"Are you insane!" the angel yelled as he carried Robert.

"I'm a part of this as much as you, remember?" Langdon reminded, removing his right sleeve to show Sefirot the bandaged wound. "I can understand some secrecy, but this whole thing is affecting me too. I know I can help; I'm not just a victim here."

Sefiroth sighed; this one was either truly dedicated or stubborn and stupid, like all the others. Yet this one was different, his transformation was not complete and it was already the 3rd night. _He should've been Nicholaus' by now…_

"What is going on is a growing battle and if you fail, it will blow out as a war." The dominion explained. "Lady Nicholaus is a 16th century vampires hell-bent on making this into a vampire bonanza…"

"How come I've never heard of this?" Langdon inquired.

"Vampires, Humans and Angels are normally at odds end up until now. Lady Nicholaus somehow found a way to even the field in HER favor."

"Guess she doesn't like to share the power."

"Quite."

"So I'm supposed to get the secret?" the professor confirmed, the target landing just below his feet. Sefirot then dropped him at a short distance from the ground, without ever touching it.

"So to speak; now go, it should be time right about now." The dominion stated. Sure enough, the town clock struck twelve times. The sun had died grandly as they parted ways.

"Keep alive Langdon." Sefirot bade farewell, flying into the dark shrouds. _For our sake, do so.

* * *

_

A/N: so many perspectives little time XD Reviews are appreciated! 


	12. Morbid Obsession

_A/N: Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are not mine they are Dan Brown's

* * *

_

XII

The imposing atmosphere of the decrepit building would have seemed to crush a normal visitor. The soft glow from the inside merely gave its windows a sinister glare to the guest, watching as he readied his gun for a faster withdrawal. Langdon could already pick up on the morbid activities that began without his presence. His clothes waved against the wind, the gun carefully concealed in his coat. The moans and stifled screams of pleasure reminded him of a frat orgy he had the displeasure of stumbling in back in his college days. He sprinted to the door and opened it with moderation.

Inside, there were many things going on at once yet every guest seemed to be dressed as if it was a pre-Revolutionary French masque ball. The masks hiding serial killers, rapists and victims alike.

"Sir, are you a guest of the lady?" the receptionist asked. She was a peculiar tinge of olive against the pallid patrons, her mask a flamboyant mix of violets, pinks and blacks, her dress a perfect companion to it. She seemed strangely familiar to Robert, like a forgotten love…

_Hold your horses, you're here for Lady Nicholaus' plans, not hook up like a common whore…and besides you're a bachelor, they're safely in Europe,_

He let himself be guided by the receptionist, hand in hand, towards the lady. With each step, the crowd began to focus on them. Robert chose to ignore them, keeping up to his guide's speed. When they arrived, the receptionist bowed down gallantly and proclaimed "M'lady, your guest has arrived."

Lady Nicholaus was a sight to behold, even with her mask on. Her ample bosom was brought to his attention; her pale skin gleamed against the reduced light making her look like a life-sized porcelain sculpture. Her red eyes glowed with the flicker of the nearby candle with ferocity and possibly lust for her guest. _He looks so handsome…he simply must be mine._

"Lady Nicholaus, I came as you requested, now I ask; why?" Langdon spoke. A large dark man, possibly African American drew near him and without any warning, slammed his knee into Langdon's abdomen.

"You will not speak to the lady unless she commands it, got it?" the man threatened as the other recovered. A hint of blood slid under Langdon's lip, arousing lady Nicholaus even more.

"Now, now Wolfren…we mustn't hurt our guest…" she said between gasps of air, it had been quite a while since a man had brought her lust. "Kimera, please lead Vittoria to her rightful place at the door while I tour Robert."

_Did she say Vittoria!_

Robert spun out of lady Nicholaus's grip and held the receptionist, causing her mask to fall off. To Robert's horror, staring back at him were the empty eyes of CERN physicist Vittoria Vetra, her makeup slightly smudged. The lady took Langdon with a force and placed her eyes into his. He felt his free will melt away as Kimera took Vittoria to her post.

"Lady Nicholaus, I…" Robert began but was stopped with a finger placed on his lips. The lady led him like a child into a door. She opened it slowly, revealing a lavish bedroom, red and violet drapes bringing out the romantic feel. She placed her lips onto Robert's, her delicate hands over his neck.

Robert was at first frightened, this woman had toyed with him like a rag toy and could do much worse in person. Suddenly, the feral desire from the morning came back with a raging flame in his body. The inhibited lust caused Robert to return the kiss roughly, making it more passionate. The lady kept the momentum going, removing his jacket and tossing to the floor. Completely oblivious to this, Langdon raced to lay his lips upon her delicate breasts, his grip competing hers. He savored the collar profusely, holding her down by the wrists onto the wall.

"My, my…you want this all?" Lady Nicholaus asked, her voice rough from the rough liplock she had broken. Robert did not even respond, he just ripped open the corset, an unusual savage look in his eyes that made the vampire lust him even more. She held him by his back as he dipped lower into her abdomen. _Tonight, you'll be mine…_she smiled as Robert undid the flowing skirt with stunning ease and speed. She could already see the process taking place.

* * *

Inside his head though, was a massive tug-of-war between the remaining humanity and the growing monster. 

_Stop it! Look and THINK what you're doing!_

_But I want her so much…I have to take her as long as I can!_

_Are you fucking kidding me! You've never met her and you want to screw her!_

_It's happened before…_

_Yes but neither had your soul riding on the line! Just take a look at a mirror!_

For a moment, he stopped to look at the mirror and what he saw horrified him. Instead of his blue eyes, he saw crimson; his skin becoming deathly pale. Lady Nicholaus took notice and asked him while kissing his back "What is the matter, my love?" Robert immediately pushed her away and grabbed the gun from the pocket. He aimed it perfectly at where her heart was meant to be.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, ready to fire.

"Your body and soul…they are the last items in order for my plan to work." Lady Nicholaus explained in her usual tone as she put back her clothes briskly. "Too bad I almost had them at the same time"

"And what is your plan exactly?"

"To bring back the Blood Countess herself." The vampires responded, her lethal grin flashing evilly.

"The Blood Countess? I've never heard of anyone by that name." Langdon said, the gun unnerved. He may not have been the best shot but he had a rough idea of where to kill. The capability to kill had always brought shivers to him but under stress, it was either kill or be killed. And no one likes death.

"I am sure your students in that pitiful hellhole or that pathetic archangel should know her true name. The Blood Countess's power extends from augmenting our already fearsome abilities to enabling my kind to walk freely among the daylight…much like you did to Kimera and my two assassins" the lady continued, admiring her victim. To her dismay, he was reverting to normal; the red pupils became blue again and his skin to his normal color. "You definitely are something…"

"And why do you need Vittoria?" Robert asked, the safety latch clicked as it was disabled.

"The fact that you still hold her in your heart makes her an all-together perfect lure to make you do what I please." She explained, snapping her fingers.

* * *

Outside, Vittoria came to her senses and was horrified by what she encountered. All around her were body parts, arms and faces separated from their original bodies; multiple sexual acts were performed with many partners for one victim as he or she were torn apart alive. She withdrew to the door but was caught by a pasty white man, his evil grin flashed as he took her wrists and began to assault her. In an instantaneous reaction, she screamed in horror. 

Robert heard the distinctive scream and fired a warning shot into lady Nicholaus's right shoulder. She laughed as the wound closed. "You cannot hurt me…"she stated, drawing closer to the man. "Just give up, Langdon and you will repay the favor."

The only thing left in Robert's mind was to get out and get Vittoria into a safe place. He felt his throat tighten; the monster was already using her apparent telekinesis to disarm. He looked at his watch hazily and with that, a plan was quickly drawn in his mind. As the lady drew closer, he took aim.

_One chance, don't miss._

* * *

Vittoria tried to get away from the attacker but he held her with wild hunger. As she tried to run away, she stumbled upon an arm. In a primal response, she picked it up and slammed it hard into his face. He staggered a bit, giving Vittoria time to drop the appendage and escape. She ran to the bedroom door clumsily avoiding the killers, when she heard a gunshot.

* * *

A/N: OMG Chappter 12 ish a cliffhanger! XD Review are appreciated! 


	13. Báthory

_A/N:Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are not mine they are Dan Brown's

* * *

_

XIII

It took two shots and a couple of seconds for physics to do their work. Lady Nicholaus at Langdon's attempt at defending himself; he had completely missed those shots. As she tightened her invisible grip on the man's throat, she said "Too weak to even shoot me at point-blank."

Robert smiled tiredly, his rebellious expression amusing the vampires.

"I wasn't aiming at you."

The heavy black drapes fell to the floor and the glorious sun came rushing in. Lady Nicholaus screamed in anguish as her bare skin began to burn and boil hideously. She ran to the shadows as Langdon hurried to the safety of the morning light.

_Thank God, I didn't turn into one of them._

Lady Nicholaus gasped in bouts of pain, her red eyes filled with vengeful rage. She then smirked maliciously. "And how do you plan to get out? Are you going to leave Vittoria to die?"

Langdon never responded; he jumped off the window to the outside.

_Like hell I will _he thought as he encountered another window. _You have 11 bullets left, make them count _He shot the top of the window, making the bulky drapes fall and letting the sunlight penetrate the grotesque party.

* * *

Inside Vittoria was about to be devoured by the rising crowd of monsters. _Please God, don't let me die this way _she prayed. Suddenly bouts of pain and convulsions took place, the crowd dissipating.

_What the hell? _Vittoria looked around her. Languishing guests tore her dress as she spotted the source of their pain; the windows were being calculatingly destroyed to let in the Sun, causing some to disappear into ashes and other to suffer unfathomably. Vittoria ran towards to the nearer window and looked out to see who was doing it.

* * *

Kimera surveyed the suffering and immediately ran towards his master and ran towards his master.

_You'd better not be dead, you wretched whore_ he thought. He then spotted the receptionist looking out the window. _Well, I can start over with this one…_he mused as he walked over his fallen comrades towards the mortal female.

* * *

Vittoria tried to make out who it was until he spotted her. A surprised yet relieved look came over her face. _It can't be…Robert! _Suddenly, she felt a strong grip in her forearm. She turned around to see whom it was but was interrupted by a loud bang.

Kimera took Vittoria and grinned hungrily. _Guess you're my new master and slave_

"Fat chance." He heard. In front of him and pointing a gun to his head, was Robert Langdon. His clothes were ripped and covered in blood, his blue eyes shining against the sun. He pulled the trigger and down went Kimera.

Then Robert took hold of Vittoria and carefully pulled her out. "That didn't kill him, we'd better hurry." He stated as Vittoria landed on the firm floor. "C'mon our ride's here." He said as they began to run towards the nearby cathedral.

Vittoria realized something as they reached the edge of the land. "We can't! It's a 10-foot drop! We'll never make it down the cliff in time!"

Robert thought quickly as the center's doors swung open. There was Kimera, breathing heavily, the fist-sized exit wound regenerating but before giving the pair a glimpse of his brain and skull.

Langdon picked up Vittoria over his shoulders as to give her a piggyback ride. "You'll never make it alive." The vampire said gleefully.

"I don't care." Langdon responded. He then jumped off the edge, taking Vittoria with him.

"Now!"

Kimera hurried to the edge, and stood perplexed, the mortals never landed to their grisly doom. Suddenly, he saw a flash of white go up. Kimera looked up and saw the object of his revenge in the air, held by a ditzy-looking angel while the woman was held by a Dominion. Robert merely grinned and bade him farewell and flew off, leaving Kimera furious at his failure.

_I'll get you, Langdon and when I do, you'll wish death could come quicker._

"Did he take his bitch?" a familiar voice came from inside. It was Lady Nicholaus, now with a cape over her scarred body. She looked enraged; she had not gotten the key items. A thought struck her calculating mind…

"Do not worry Kimera, we did not leave empty-handed." She said, holding a vial full of crimson. "We have his blood."

"And what good is that to us? Don't you remember, we need the blood of an Original to make it work."

"And that's what we got. Robert Langdon is an Original, all thanks to that ungrateful Katalin."

"You mean…"

* * *

Meanwhile, Vittoria was trying to process what had just happened but immediately stopped. Robert seemed to fly on his own, his expression serious yet relieved.

"Oh where are my manners? I forgot to introduce ourselves," the angel holding Robert exclaimed, breaking the ice. "My name's Raphael and this is my boss Sefirot."

"Umm, my name is Vittoria Vetra…pleasure." The woman replied sheepishly. _Wow, real angels…guess Father was right…_

Sefirot merely nodded as if a greeting. Robert noticed the uncomfortable expression in Vittoria's face and grinned, "Don't worry about him, by what Raphael tells me, he's a bit of a sourpuss."

"That's because he likes downing the paperwork instead of field work." The angel named Raphael added.

"Don't make me hurt you." Sefirot warned, making the duet shut up but still snicker.

"Robert, how do you know these guys?" Vittoria asked, wondering how a normal man could see, much less communicate with angels.

"It's a long story…"

Raphael chided, "We have half an hour of flight, I think you could start."

As Robert told Vittoria, the group was flying over the waking Boston. The architecture was better appreciated at their height. Raphael occasionally played with his passenger their little game, scaring the crap out of Vittoria every time she saw her savior drop. When they arrived to his house, Robert opened his door and let them in.

"Anyone want something?" He spotted Raphael's cheery face. "Besides you?"

"Tea." Sefirot stated as he sat down on a chair.

"Water." Vittoria replied, taking a look at Robert's kitchen. It was quite modern compared to the artifacts that decorated it. Robert took out a tea bag, a can full of Quik, a large spoon and a couple of glasses.

"So miss Vittoria, do you understand the situation?" Sefirot asked, reading the newspaper while Raphael gorged right into the chocolate powder mix.

"Yeah but why does Robert have to be involved? He is a normal man, he should not have involvement in such matters."

"I'm afraid I do." The professor interrupted as he began to unravel some previously unseen bandages. The wound was now a gash that now bled profusely, its owner carefully applying ethyl alcohol to prevent infection. As he placed new cloths and pinned them down, Vittoria tried to grasp with the situation.

"Humanity is stuck between an ongoing feud between angels and vampires that has gone on for 500 years and Robert is the only person who is capable to stop this 16th century monster from letting her faction win the war…" Vittoria thought out loud.

* * *

Raphael stood quiet; he remembered his findings from the night before…

_He was looking into the newspaper story about the young boy. He chuckled a little when he found out the boy's real name was Robert Langdon. He read on and found out the young Robert had fallen into a well when he was 5 years old and had broken his leg. At first after the rescue, he seemed fine, but after a while he complained of nausea. When the doctor investigated further, the boy's leg had become severely infected and needed a bone marrow replacement or they would amputate his leg. _

_His condition worsened when an attempt to remove the swollen tissue resulted in massive blood loss. Robert's parents were so desperate to find one quickly that they put up a plea in the front page of the newspaper, begging for a donor, the reward being a hefty $700,000. Of course, many applied and many resulted incompatible with the ailing boy. _

_They found one just in time and the transplant was a success. The donor never claimed the money and requested that she should remain anonymous. Yet the medical records that Raphael found told the truth: the donor was none other than the daughter of the Blood Countess…Katalin Násdasdy Báthory_

"Are you all right, Raphael?" the sounds of Robert's deep voice snapped the archangel back to reality.

Raphael merely shook off the uneasiness and asked, "So what is lady Nicholaus' big plan."

"Apparently to bring back someone who goes by the title of the Blood Countess." Robert explained as he gave Vittoria a glassful of water. Both angels stood up in shock.

"She plans to bring back Elizabeth Báthory! She's gone insane!" Raphael exclaimed.

"Are you sure that's what she said, Langdon?" Sefirot asked, his eyes shrouded in terror and awe.

"Yeah…what does she have to do with anything?" the professor asked, perplexed. Elizabeth Báthory was a sadistic Hungarian countess than besides her killing spree had done nothing else for world history. It was a named occasionally referred by the Goth students in his class.

"Didn't she die?"

"Yes but before her untimely demise, she was one of the Originals." the Dominion explained, his mind thinking of the monstrous capabilities of such a corpse.

"Excuse me?"

"The Originals are a group of immortals that would later begin the race of the modern-day vampire. They had the ability to walk in daylight, needed no blood to sustain themselves and were practically invincible. Some were the oracles, the soothsayers, the healers, our connection to Earth We angels had a peace truce with them until some deviated and began to kill. One was Elizabeth Báthory." Sefirot explained.

"Elizabeth was already a sadistic woman, her lineage riddled with inbreeding and haunted by the shadow of dementia. As the legends go, one day she slapped a servant so hard that she caused the girl to bleed. The spot where the blood had fallen had become replenished and looked younger and she then began to kill young maidens to maintain a youthful appearance."

"And let me guess…the legends were true?" Robert added.

"Quite. The girl that started it all was an Original and her blood was used in the first bath that followed many others. By being exposed to it and drinking it, Báthory became an Original. Her children, who were exposed to the blood, followed her blood thirst. By the time she starved to death, she had propagated the vampire traits to at least 20 people that in turn, infected others until the vampire race had turned violent."

"So to revive her, Lady Nicholaus needs the blood of an Original?"

"And a sacrifice." Raphael finished. Vittoria remained, quiet and processing the information.

"She was planning to use me as a sacrifice!" she realized.

"Yes, but the question was why you? Any woman could've sufficed and you have no physical or emotional ties to Báthory." Sefirot pondered.

"Elizabeth's remains have disappeared from her grave in the Čathice castle sometime ago. It means that Lady Nicholaus has brought them to America."

Robert thought long and hard about the present events. He felt Vittoria's eyes look at his with a clear message.

_Can we talk outside?_

Robert quietly slipped out of the conversation with "I'll let you guys think" and led Vittoria to his study. They had a lot to catch up and by the way the party had ended, they had just enough time.

* * *

A/N: Ok if anyone didn't understand anything that i wrote in this chapter, write a comment and i will explain...or i should let you interpret it at your own risk...reviews appreciated 


	14. Vittoria and Sefirot

_A/N: Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are not mine, they are Dan Brown's

* * *

_

XIV

The morning breeze was a welcome feeling as the former lovers arrived at the study. Robert did in fact miss her; he missed having her in his arms. He remembered that blissful night in the Bernini Hotel, the night that had proven the statement he himself told his students;

_Forget about the sex, about the whole reason you're doing it…try to enjoy the moment in which everything is blank, in which the divine femininity is based upon…the moment man and woman are equally connected to a higher plane…_

"How's life?" he asked to break the ice.

"Pretty boring up until now." Vittoria answered, remembering the incomplete project back home. "I've never happier to see the Sun."

"Me too."

They looked at each other; they had gone through a lot in the last days but in separate paths. A weak smile was shared as their sheepish glances met.

"I heard you were going out with another woman…"

Robert flinched slightly; he was indeed going out with another, the French cryptologist Sophie Noveau. She had even come to America for a vacation just to see him a couple of months before the present events. But it seemed that communications had become strained as time wore on, something about relocating to England by her superiors. Sophie had yet to let him go and Robert was one to be faithful to a woman.

"How is she?" Vittoria asked, leaning onto the handrails.

"She's fine. Haven't heard from her in a while."

Vittoria smiled, her image striking against the morning light making her look like a goddess even with the tattered dress. Langdon could only flush at the sight, something that made the woman giggle. _He hasn't changed at all…_

"Vittoria, I'm so sorry you got dragged into this; if I would've known I would've known, I'd…"

"It's all right; if you didn't come to my help, I'd surely been vampire chowder." The woman interrupted softly, drawing nearer to the professor.

"My father once told me that God has plans for everybody and there is little we can do to change it, all we can do improve and try our best because it will always work out in the end." She explained, with deep bitterness caused by the gruesome loss of her father.

Robert stood silent, the ridicule she must face back at CERN had to be overwhelming; coming back with her tail between her legs after her anti-matter experiment went astray. He took her in her arms in a warm embrace, recognizing her every contour of her body and her wonderful face. One small peck was placed in her forehead as a sign of comfort, causing her to shiver. He could stay there for the rest of his life and be happy; it didn't matter if anyone would call him a gigolo or, more popular among his younger colleagues at Harvard, man-whore. To be in Vittoria's embrace was more than enough; there were no more discussions, no more skeletons in the closet, just the ecstasy of the moment.

_And to think I would've given it all up to that vampiress…_

"Robert, I want to help you." Vittoria said, looking straight into his nostalgic blue eyes.

"Vittoria, no."

"Robert, be reasonable; by the way you pissed that Lady Nicholaus, she'll have eyes everywhere, I won't be able to leave the United States. The least I can do for you and your angel friends is help." She explained sternly, Robert avoiding eye contact. He remained silent.

"Then just go and hide somewhere safe; I'll make sure someone protects you." Robert replied, pushing her away gently. She then spun him around locked her lips onto his in a passionate manner. She parted their kiss quickly, a glare flashing in her eyes, and went inside but not before asking where was a shower located. The quickness of breath could only allow him to point.

"Don't ever underestimate me." She said, exiting ever so gracefully.

* * *

Meanwhile inside, Sefirot and Raphael began discussing the consequences of Báthory's return.

"Even with the most offense powerful weapon in our repertoire could only scratch her; we'd have to stop Lady Nicholaus before she can achieve such a feat." The Dominion stated, his face riddled with worry.

"The problem is that we don't know where the body is." Raphael refuted.

"Dammit, those mortals should've cremated her…not let her death bed become her tomb."

Vittoria then had a stroke of thought and ran up to Sefirot. In her trip to America, her captor did make a mention of a certain event that the name Báthory came into mention.

"I know where the corpse is, it's in the Smithsonian Institute." She claimed, drawing the attention from the weary angel Sefirot.

"You'd best not be lying, mortal…"Sefirot began before being interrupted by Vittoria.

"I don't know what's your problem with people, but I heard her servant talk about the exhibition. Either you investigate the lead I just gave you or go on a wild goose chase." She snapped, causing the Dominion to shut up. Raphael snickered; _No one besides Him could ever shut Sefirot up, girl's got spunk!_

After a moment of silence, the angel walked over to the back exit of the kitchen as Robert entered. "I will check if any new arrivals have come in…meanwhile, you three will investigate the exhibition personally."

"And how are we supposed to get in without suspicion?" Robert inquired while Raphael dug his spoon into the Quik for a bite.

Vittoria began to rummage into her ripped dress and found what she was looking for. An ID card that in bold black letters read "CERN".

"I could do some analysis with no problem if I show the guards this." She explained as she showed it to the group of men. The laminated card fascinated Raphael while Sefirot was clearly disdainful of such a meaningless item.

"It could be easily copied…"

"CERN only gives these to their personnel and it's individually and electronically coded so that no two people ever have the same ID number." She continued.

"So all we would need is photographic proof?" Langdon asked to try and break the increasing tension between the woman and the Dominion.

"Yes!" they both replied, diverting their anger temporarily at him.

"Then are we set?" Raphael asked innocently. "Then let's get started! Lady Nicholaus won't know what hit her."

The rest just looked on as Raphael finished the can of powder mix in a single sitting.

_Well, there goes my Quik…

* * *

_

A/N: 14th chapter! Reviews are appreciated! goes to see movie May 19 


	15. the Smithsonian

_A/N: Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are not mine, they are Dan Brown's; no suing ok?__

* * *

_

XV

The Smithsonian Institute is a massive complex by itself. It compromises 19 buildings in the capital of the United States, Washington DC all specializing in every artistic aspect of American culture, occasionally deviating towards an international oddity or two. A certain exhibit had caught the attention of many tourists with its blaring banner that read:

THE REAL-LIFE DRACULAS: HISTORY'S VAMPIRES

_Fitting for all of this…_Robert thought as he went through the halls. In the exhibitions were the many weapons that medieval people used to annihilate the supposed vampires; mallets, spiked clubs and a plethora of swords, all supposedly blessed by the pope.

Robert shuddered at the thought of having a stake through the heart while the victim was still alive and then have his or her head cut off. He looked more appropriate for a funeral than a visit to the museum; a black shirt over a tan jacket that hid Raphael's now fully loaded gun perfectly, his bandages visible from the right sleeve. How he got through security was all Raphael's doing, playing with the circuits enough for him to go through without a hitch.

He took out a Samsung Digimax A402 digital camera from his left pocket and looked around the exhibit. As he arrived to his target, another was following him closely. His face grinned duplicitously, _Go on, lead us where the Countess is…_ the guest thought as his pasty face gleamed. _Terkin's gonna take care of you so nicely, you're gonna be all mine._

Langdon found the Báthory section, not surprisingly riddled with Goths and other people, a rare family of tourists dressed in Hawaiian shirts. Robert chuckled at the thoughts that could be going through both the morbid audience and their cheery additions. He even heard the younger son ask his father, "Dad, why does that person look like it's wriggling with a stick in his heart?"

Robert flinched at the directness of the question; he could already see the father fumble for an answer. Then he spotted his target; the mummified remains of the late Countess of Čathice, Báthory Nádasdy Erzsébet or as history would refer to her, Elizabeth Báthory the **Bloody Lady of Čachtice. **The body remained in a contorned yet fetal position, corroborating the cause of death: Starvation. Langdon took quick photographs with the small camera while the security looked away for a moment. He then headed out to the cafeteria while taking out his cellphone and dialing a phone number.

"Hello?" Vittoria greeted cautiously.

"Morning."

"Oh, Robert, it's you! Did you get the pictures?"

"Yes, and compared to the Vlad Dracula exhibit, security is a bit lighter. Where's Raphael?" Langdon inquired.

"Freshening up. He'll be coming along as an assistant technician while I do the forensic analysis." The woman continued, apparently doing the dishes while she talked on the phone.

"I didn't know you had a degree in Forensics."

"I don't; I'll just tell them it's for CERN and they'll do it for me. If the dating and genetic tests pass, then it will certain that the body is Báthory's. Now let me get some paper and I'll write down the location."

Robert was in the jewelry exhibit while he talked, it was on route to the cafeteria. The stalker silently sprinted towards him at a breakneck speed for a human being. It hopped to the unseen railings holding the roof, a 50 foot leap, as he watched over his victim enter the dimly lit room. The gems gave off a gleeful shine, as if sharing Terkin's desire to be bathed in Langdon's blood, against the multicolor lighting provided.

"It's in the Anthropology wing at the Smith…" the professor began, but noticed something out of place in the exhibit, _a flawless diamond should never have a black scar_. "I'll call you later…" he whispered as he hung up, As soon as the dial tone died, Terkin dropped from the roof and landed on top of the Marilyn Monroe mannequin. He licked his dead lips with his pierced tongue, savoring the mere smell of his victim's flesh. Robert drew back and for a moment studied his opponent. This was one flanky man, his red hair plastered by gel and age, his crystal eyes shining with the misery he inflicted into his victims. In his deathly skin, he could see tatoos denouncing the Christian faith with his face riddled with piercings.

"I'm quite the sight, ain't I?" he asked his target, salivating.

"I've seen worse; what do you want?" Robert chided, eyes fixated on looking for any weapons under the black spandex Terkin was wearing.

Terkin slithered closer to Langdon, tempting himself to just break his neck and devour him.

"Why, the Countess herself! Everyone who's anyone's looking for her! And you just let me right to her!" the monster exclaimed maliciously. Robert began to draw his gun, yet he was interrupted by Terkin's mocking scorn.

"Tsk, tsk, there are cameras and I'm all defenseless." He said. He then jumped and tore the devices from the walls. "Now we can have fun…" he stated before lounging Langdon from the upper wall, catching him by surprise and smashing his body into Queen Victoria's crown. Langdon struggled to keep himself up, his blood seeping into the centuries-old lining of the crown from his glass-covered back. He gasped for as Terkin went forward with another blow, trapping him in the Monroe display window, which followed swift roundhouse kicks to his face.

_Dammit!_ Robert was quickly weakening by the bloodlost, hazily watching his own crimson stain the pricelss jewels. Even with his limited visibilty, he could still see the dispersed glass around his back. A quick idea came into his mind; he grabbed a handful of shards and shoved into Terkin's face. The vampire screamed in anguish, backing away enough for Robert to slip through into the main halls.

Langdon ignored the gasps around him and headed back to the Vampire exhibit. He was relieved that the quick healing was not temporary and shook of some of the shards embedded into his skin.

_If those weapons were effective back then, then they shouldn't have a problem these days_ he thought as he ran for the nearest fire alarm. When he found, he broke the protective glass with the butt of Raphael's gun and pulled the switch. The wailing alarms alarmed both tourist and security, which ordered a full evacuation.

_That should buy me some time…_

As people went towards the nearest exit, Langdon entered the hall and shot the displays; all except the corpse. Terkin arrived, his eyes bloodshot and furious.

"Y'know, I was just gonna drag you back to the Lady but now I 'm going to kill you!" he screamed, alerting Robert of his presence. Robert quickly seized the gun and pulled the trigger unto his persecutor's face. In physcical reaction, his body arched yet he stood upright, half his face blown unto the floor.

"You are one persistent motherfucker!" Terkin exclaimed, his eye hanging by the loose muscle, gleaming. Langdon felt the nausea resurface but kept firm.

Terkin swiftly pinned the man to the wall exhibit, his vampiric claws tacking the body to the foam and latex mixture.

"You're gonna be a great main dish…" Terkin smirked hungrily, Langdon's crimson flooding the tight material, the dangling eye moving about on its own and watching the droplets dribble slowly. "And you know why?"

Robert could only look in terror as Terkin replied, showing off his razor-sharp teeth, "'Cause instead of draining my victims…I eat them!"

Langdon, on the other hand, was desperately looking for a way out of the imprisonment through the ancient artifacts. After a second of looking, he found a wooden stake that before the intrusion was dated 1524 A.D. Hollywood had always claimed that a stake through a vampire could cause instant death but Langdon always found it impossible. This was more of a method to trap the vampire in a secure place, while the slayer or Dhampir looked for an axe to chop off the extremities or to set ablaze.

_Let's hope the movies did something right! _He thought as he grabbed the stake and slammed it into Terkin's chest.

The monster only made a guttural sound, as if choking on his own saliva and began to back off. The momentary shock allwed Robert to tear the claws out of his own abdomen and land safely unto the ground. As if by instinct, he drove the stake to the wall and glued Terkin forcefully to the west wall. By that time, the monstrousity began to wriggle out of his confinement, his savage smile haunting Langdon as he drew closer. The wounded man quickly surveyed the room for a possible weapon in the arsenal. He took hold of an axe and with a heavy trot, drew its blade near Terkin's head. Terkin merely grinned, aware of a painfully true fact.

"You can't kill, can you? You can't imagine covering your hands in blood, can you?" he stated.

Langdon steeped back when he realized what he was about to do and for a moment, dropped the axe.

_He's right, I can't do it…shit._

As Terkin started to unscrew the stake, Robert looked again for any other weapons, anything to stop the vampire in his tracks. He drew to the horrifying conclusion; he'd have to behead the creature if he wanted to survive. Terkin slipped off as Langdon drew the axe from the floor and swung it with all of his strength. Then everything went blank for a split second…all that was heard was a loud thump, as if something fell a couple of feet to the ground.

The man dropped to floor, his face covered in blood and tears. He wept for a moment as he tried to comprehend the following thoughts:

_I just murdered someone…_

The corpse laid in front of him, its appendages twitching from the remaining electric impulses in them. The blank eyes looked ahead, as if transfixed forever to one object. Suddenly the body began to crawl towards Langdon, one arm outstretched to at least try to get that object. With a tremendous last breath, it slashed to Langdon's face and finally dissoluted. Robert turned just in time to see his face regenerate, the gashes closing and his skin returning to its usual self.

_This can't just be the result of a bite…_ He thought as he stood up. The body had dissolved into ashes, the usual fate of a forgotten corpse. Vampires were no exception. He took comfort in that he had cleared the area of any of Lady Nicholaus' henchmen; both his love and Raphael could go into the laboratory without getting hurt.

All clear, Vittoria…

* * *

A/N: Chapter 15! Keep reading people! not really caring about readers but more to her friends I'm gonna watch the movie! XD 


	16. Investigate

_A/N: Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are not mine, they are Dan Brown's

* * *

_

XVII

It was around the same time that Vittoria arrived to the Smithsonian. She had borrowed some clothes from Langdon, her frame looked even more petite with the oversized garments, but by some miracle, looked completely normal. Raphael, on the other hand, looked very uncomfortable to be near a lab. The lesser angels gossiped that mortals took apart anything they could get their hand on inside a laboratory and now, he'd have to to confirm a dead body.

_Whoopie…cut open bodies…_

At the first checkpoints, Vittoria handed her CERN ID card with no problem. It was until they arrived at the Anthropology wing when they saw the damage between the resting man on the floor and the mound of ashes that lay besides. Vittoria rushed to his side, asking him frantically for his well-being. He merely nodded and smiled weakly. He pointed to the Báthory exhibit, still safe and sound. As Raphael went over to examine it further, Vittoria noticed the tearing on his clothes, all consistent of a massive struggle.

"Robert, what happened to you?" she asked worridly.

Robert shuddred a little but remained quite; he didn't want to scare her.

_Not after what I did; she'd never forgive me._

"And why are the fire alarms on?" Raphael asked, covering his ears to prevent further damage.

"Oops; sorry about that." Langdon said, standing up rather difficultly and flipping the switch, killing the sirens in consequence. As the three faced up to Báthory, the body appeared to move, or maybe it was Langdon's imagination? He was already sensitive to his surroundings but in the last days, everything was given a new light. He brushed off the sentiment and proceeded to help remove the glass plating that protected it.

"I'll go ahead and notify the lab technicians of our arrival." The archangel stated before running towards a white door at the end of the hall.

"Is it just me, or that angel has one of the world's best timing?" Vittoria asked herself with a small grin in her face. Robert flushed at the remark and cursed Raphael for being a tad too…simple-minded to say the least. He then noticed how childish he was being and mentally slapped himself.

_Dear God Langdon, can't you ever think without your pants?_

"He did give me a heads-up about Báthory and all the events surrounding her. Seems like she deserved it." The physicist thought. "He also mentioned something about you."

"Me? What the hell do I have to do with her?"

Vittoria released a small laugh, so full of life, just like Langdon remembered. Yet he could see a sort of nostalgia in her black eyes.

Raphael arrived with a quite senior scientist. After explaining (or as Langdon would call it, buttering up to the feeble mind) to the scientist, the man was more than happy to provide the assistance. As a team came along to carefully extract the corpse, Langdon again felt as if those empty eyes had just looked at him. Vittoria professionally gave her ID, yet swiftly took hold of his arm when one of the younger scientists began to hit on her with illicit stares to her bosom.

"Are all of you Americans interested in sex?" she whispered in Robert's ear.

"Believe me, you're seeing the people who actually control themselves. Imagine the ones that don't." he responded playfully.

The lab had been just like Raphael had imagined it; an aesthetic white room, metal shining inquisitively, scalpels lying used on napkins. In the far east side was a massive CT Scan in which the body was placed, but not removing some tissue for mitochondrial DNA tracking and biochemical dating. As the machine whirred, Robert sighed as if to just fall onto the floor. Vittoria accompanied the scientists; they did need CERN personnel to be witness.

"You fought one of them just now, didn't you?" Raphael asked somberly.

"I think the slashed shirt gave it away." Robert replied, taking out the camera that was now completely destroyed thanks to Terkin's grapple to his internal organs.

"Was it hers?"

"Most probably, he was at the ball before I shot the windows. He said that he was looking for Báthory too." Then Robert remembered his bizarre transformation; he looked like a monster and it haunted him that it was his own reflection he saw. "Raphael, something happened back at the party…"

"Hm? What do you mean?" the archangel asked, curious. Robert was very quiet about whatever happened in the infiltrated party.

"I don't know; my eyes became red, I was pale and I wasn't myself." The man explained, looking at the machine, not wanting to make contact with Raphael. He did give in to temptation and apparently he was falling from grace. Hell, he had been falling ever since that damn Kimera bit him and set all the wheels in motion.

"Actually I was expecting that to happen." He heard Raphael say. He looked up in either shock or anger.

"What? You mean to tell me I was meant for this to happen!" he yelled.

Raphael merely looked away.

"No, you were supposed to fall into Lady Nicholaus' hold a long time ago but you've got some willpower, from what looks of this." The archangel explained calmly. "Believe me, we angels don't work on the mortal doctrine of 'the ends justify the means'."

"So all she did was try to take me as her new slave?" Langdon inquired, looking at Raphael sternly.

"Yes, now let's go meet the doctors. I think they're throwing a fit at Vittoria." Raphael replied, looking at the angered scientists.

* * *

In fact; they were calling her a lunatic while she remained calm. 

"We can't possibly speed up the tests! The specimen will be ruined!" one of the senior investigators exclaimed.

"How dare you call our technology third-rate? These cost us $12 million dollars!" a junior assistant yelled.

Vittoria was as silent as a curious cat, watching, listening for the right moment to say;

"But in the time you go on blathering about how state-of-the-art your machines are, we could've easily had a read out."

With that, the team grudgingly went back to work, threatening words murmured while Langdon and Raphael steeped in.

"I take it you handled the situation?" Robert asked, drawing a bit of humor from the glares they were shooting at the beaming woman.

"Of course." She responded, giving Langdon a mischievous look.

"The tests should be done by 6:47 this evening. Come pick them up by then." The more experienced of the scientists explained, handing Vittoria a slip of paper.

"Thank you." She said before she left with the tattered professor and the strangely vibrant young man.

* * *

On the other side of the city, Lady Nicholaus had taken the body count; more than half her troupe had perished as consequence of the disgraced party. She was standing in the middle of the activity hall, looking upon whatever remained of her once-powerful following. Indeed, she did feel rage for the casualties but in a small test tube was the fruit of their sacrifices. 

But in a moment, she felt a spy go down.

_I guess he found Terkin…oh well. He was supposed to be killed anyways, leaving too many tracks for the police to follow._

"M'lady, I have found two survivors; Wolfren and Amelia. I am…" she heard Kimera report.

"Please do not feel sorry, for tonight it will be our greatest night, I can assure it." The vampire countess interrupted softly. "Tonight, we will take over what is rightfully ours and eliminate our opposition. We shall replace what is lost and by morning, we shall all walk in the sun."

Wolfren and Amelia smiled maliciously while drawing closer to their leader.

"Then we'd better get the countess…" the Caucasian woman said.

"Make sure there are no witnesses left alive."

* * *

A/N: Chapter 16 up and running! XD Reviews are greatly appreciated! 


	17. Light Temptation

_A/N: Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are not mine! They are Dan Brown's

* * *

_

XVII

"Do you think we'll be able to hold them off? I mean the three of us?" Vittoria thought out loud, surprising Langdon while they were catching a taxi.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that there is an inevitable confrontation and it would be statically impossible for only three people to stop something so much more powerful." The physicist explained as they got in the cab.

Robert agreed but he knew otherwise. Many times a minority had caused a big difference in world events; from the Battle of the Bulge in World War II to the proverbial turtle in the race, the underdog had won above all. He himself had that experience, shared with Vittoria when the Hassassin had cornered them both in the Necropolis in Rome. And yet, they saved the Vatican from destruction.

"Hey, you should know better." Langdon assured. "Hope may be a fallacy to some people, but it does give a person a drive to live."

Vittoria looked at the man slightly confused at such a comment from him.

"Since when do you have hope?" she asked cautiously.

"Since the moment I saw you dressed up like a 18th whore back at the ball." Robert remarked, beaming at Vittoria's annoyed scorn.

She then buried herself in his torn shirt, seeking a bit of comfort; it was going to be a long ride to where Raphael said he as going to pick them up. Robert kissed her hair slightly as she dazed off.

_After this is over, I'll have to say goodbye…again._

He hated that truth and wished it would go away. She was meant to explore the world while he was meant to a Harvard classroom. Two completely different worlds that up until now never came into contact. Langdon could hear her soft breathing, a sound that brought him calm. Her muffled heartbeat soothed him into a nap. But as in his previous slumber, it brought with it a gruesome dream…

_He was in a stranded valley, covered in low-lying fog, the sky with the greatest full moon he had ever seen. It was black and white, just like an old 1920's movie, the colors striking against the illuminating glow of the satellite. Suddenly, he felt something wet on his hands. He took a look and his face twisted in horror. _

_He couldn't face the reality of what he did and began running towards the brightly lit moon. As he got closer to the horizon, he saw red spot and puddles, hacked stalks of weed covered in crimson that was exalted by the monochrome of the environment. Bodies being piled by disembodied shadows. They smiled their skeleton grins and bowed down to him. He could see it in their smiles; he had killed them all…_

_As he looked at his own body covered in red, a somber woman took his hand and whispered in his ear,_

_Seal the fate, live the cursed immortality, for that thou held near is now gone."_

Langdon woke up in a cold sweat; yet another horrible dream had surfaced. He looked out the car window, recognizing the lush forest surrounding the taxi. Civilization had become limited with occasional wooden houses or sheds springing up every quarter-mile. The cab began to slow down as a forgotten bus stop drew closer to view. Robert softly shoved Vittoria awake to break her sleeping spell.

"That'll be $50.95, sir." The cab driver, which had a heavy Mexican accent, stated as the couple steeped out. As Langdon paid him, Vittoria took in the sights and smells the moist evergreen land. She had been to America multiple times before but in the zealousness required by the scientific world; she had never seen how the continent really looked like, not just in the environment.

_There's beauty in everything, Vittoria, no matter what it may be…_the woman remembered her dearly departed father say when she had once tried to squish a grasshopper.

"Raphael should be coming along in a couple of minutes." The professor stated as he sat on the wooden bench provided by the spot.

" I never thought a forest this big could exist in such a populated country." The physicist exclaimed as she came back to reality.

"Well, they're protected by the government, so they'll be here a while." Robert replied, a tired answer with an eponymous smile. Vittoria lounged at him with a smothering kiss, melting Robert's tiredness away and causing his arms to wrap around her petite waist.

"What was that for?" the professor asked, marveled at the woman's forwardness.

"Just because! You can't be looking for reasons for every little thing!" she exclaimed, playfully flicking his forehead. Vittoria smiled, the sunlight making her look like a Michelangelo goddess.

"I guess we'd better live for the moment since you'll leave." The man remarked as he put away his wallet.

"Don't always assume, Robert; it's a bad habit." Vittoria added playfully while the archangel landed gracefully besides her. Raphael now looked more angelic than his previous encounter, a loose turtleneck with equally held pants that made him look 10 years younger.

"Sorry I took my sweet time, I had some issues." Raphael explained sheepishly.

"It's all right; Vittoria and I were just…talking." Robert replied rather blandly, trying to cover Vittoria's deep facial crimson.

"Please, like you could hide the fact that you were swapping spit just now." The angel smirked as both the professor and the physicist tried to hide their brief embarrassment.

"So where's Sefirot?" Vittoria inquired as Raphael and Robert prepared to take off.

"Well, he decided to stick to paperwork so today you'll be holding on to Robert's hand here." Raphael explained while opening all four of his wings.

"After all of this, I doubt I'll ever be called sane again…" Vittoria chided, holding firmly to Langdon's hand.

"You're not the only one." Langdon replied as they trio took flight.

* * *

As night began creeping into the Smithsonian lab, Senior Technician Arthur Hopkins began to make his rounds around the vast halls. The dying sunlight meant that the tourists were to leave but after the fire alarm incident, there was no outsider left. The analyses on the medieval Jane Doe were about to conclude and Hopkins was heading for the security phone.

He was already a good 70 years old and it was almost time to retire yet he was always compelled to do more in the name of knowledge. But tonight, he was presented a case by a brash young woman from CERN, a ragged man and a lively boy that had to do with the Báthory exhibit.

_Wasteful use for government money…_he thought as he opened the security door. What he saw next almost killed him on the spot; the thrashed bodies of both security guards were laid to waste with every screen covered in what appeared to be their blood.

Hopkins fell to the floor in shock, his feeble heart giving in into the terror.

_Who did this? Who could've committed such an atrocity? _He feverishly asked himself. Then he heard glasses being shattered, papers ripped and screams being torn quiet.

A female voice laughed chillingly her lively steps exited the analytic room. Hopkins hid his 5 feet 3 inch frame with the body of the larger officer.

"Oh Wolfren thank you for the snack!" she exclaimed.

A deep male voice replied, "Hey, you got all riled up with those old geezers, I like to keep my victims to a minimum."

"But it'll be worth it when that ol' Báthory bat comes back, right?" the woman asked, her voice hinted with a malignant emotion.

" 'Course Amelia, she's our ticket…she'll make us all unbeatable. Those mortal shitbags won't know what hit them." The male voice responded.

Hopkins cowered in his hiding place; all of his fellow scientists were now dead. He began to mutter a forgotten prayer. He closed his old eyes as he felt the steps drawing closer to him.

"_Rid us of all evil…_" he said before being stabbed in the heart.

"Amen." The black male concluded, the old man's blood seeping into his skin.

* * *

A/N: Sorry I took so long! I was sidetracked a bit but here's the new one! Reviews are greatly appreciated! 


	18. Sequence

_A/N: Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are not mine they are Dan Brown's so no suing!

* * *

_

XVIII

Contrary to most angels, Raphael had a very peculiar ability that made him perfect for fieldwork; he had the ability to sense death on people he had met and in a moment he felt a sudden collection of life snuffed out. He was resting on the back porch when he sensed the distant homicides. He decided to not think on it too much; after all a big city did have a rising criminal activity.

The group had arrived a couple of hours before and they were already waiting for the Smithsonian scientists to call. Robert and Vittoria were catching up and much to Raphael's chagrin, momentarily locking lips.

_Jeez, get a room…_ he thought, rather annoyed, looking for his favorite Quik flavor in the glass cupboards. As Raphael took a spoonful, he thought of his beloved brother Barachiel. Barachiel was a peaceful angel contrary to Raphael's active. He had a strong sense of duty that went rather well with his roguish looks.

_Weird that Langdon's the spitting image of Barachiel…oh well, good genetics I guess or whatever humans call it_

Barachiel was the original archangel meant for the Nicholaus case, and everyone trusted his judgment. So it became even more traumatizing when he disappeared without a trace. No one in the Thrones or even the Powers knew or gave any information about his whereabouts.

"I trust His will…I will always, I just want to find my brother." Raphael stated while presenting his situation to Gabriel. Gabriel had been very hesitant on letting anyone else exit the gates, for fear of another loss. It was until Sefirot convinced him that Raphael was capable to finish the case. And a coincidental bite to the last Original left in the civilized world didn't hurt his chances.

_I have to tell Robert before he confronts Báthory…_ Raphael proposed to himself as he stepped down from his seat and put away his snack. He checked the time on the large pendulum in the main hall.

_Strange, those scientists should've been finished with the body by now… _the archangel thought while he hurried off to the porch. There, he found Robert and Vittoria quietly holding each other.

"Finally! I thought you guys would never stop!" He exclaimed rather boringly.

"Someone's just jealous, I suppose." Vittoria giggled sensually, causing Raphael to roll his eyes. As she left his arms, Robert checked his own watch; Mickey read 6:59 pm. He also thought the lack of a phone call seemed strange; after all, those scientists were some of the best in the world and clearly not ones to keep their patrons waiting. It was until Vittoria turned on the television set that Raphael understood what that collective loss of life meant. The main news began with Robert's stunt but immediately shifted to a grisly scene.

The lovely news reporter was reciting the latest of what appeared to be a massacre in every sense of the word. In her sultry British accent she read;

"As we speak, the bodies of Mark Summerhill and Lee Schneider are being removed from the premises of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. Police are baffled by the brutality in which these security guards and 4 other corpses were eliminated. They reflect the same manner of death that a janitor in the Harvard campus, renowned Ivy League university. Apparently the murderer or murderers also stole a priceless medieval mummy from the latest exhibit. More at seven…"

Langdon stood deathly pallid but even more was the archangel. In the back of his mind, the horrific dream replayed itself over and over, the found corpses gaining color against the monochromatic sequence.

_This can't be happening to me…I'm actually foreseeing the deaths of complete strangers!_

Raphael could see what Robert was experiencing and began to murmur some words into his ear. The dream began to waver as the shaken professor began to relax. Vittoria stood ready and caught him in her soft arms and soothed Langdon as he slipped into a tracelike state.

A moment of silence went through the room before Vittoria sternly asked, "Tell me what's really going on…"

Raphael stood silent and placed a hand over Langdon's head. He sighed as he said, "You're quite perceptive miss Vetra…but it is best if you both find out on your own."

* * *

Meanwhile, Langdon was in the gory dream again, still covered in blood. But now he was heading towards the moon not in fear but in a steadfast sprint. He ran past the shadows of death and took hold of the grinning woman.

_I believe you heard about what Amelia and Wolfren have done to your pitiful alchemists _the woman stated, appearing to enjoy the strong grip Langdon had over her seemingly frail arms.

"Stop playing games Nicholaus." Robert said, strengthening his hold. His piercing stare into the lady's eyes were met with an evil grin.

_What games, Robert? This is merely survival._

"Oh yeah, tell me where does survival come into play when you murder decrepit old men?" the professor spat back, his voice filled with rage.

_My children were hungry; moving the Countess is no easy task…_ lady Nicholaus responded as she drew towards Langdon's heart. _My, how your heart beats; I'm going to have to fix that._

Robert tossed the vampire woman to the floor, his blue eyes tinting into crimson, as he demanded, "Tell me where you hid the body."

Lady Nicholaus smiled maliciously,

_Temper, temper; you're going to hurt someone with that attitude…_she said as she was stood up by one of the shadows. As she departed from the fantastic dream, she turned around and said rather pompously,

_The Lady of Čathice awaits the arrival of her abandoned sheep in the holiest spot in the city that never sleeps where the bird and the serpent were meant to battle once more. _

As the trance broke, Robert shot one last glare at lady Nicholaus. All the pain he had suffered, every trick and lie, every death would have one chance to be avenged.

"Everything becomes full circle, Nicholaus, don't forget that."

* * *

Langdon woke up, opening his eyes in a rather eerie manner that slightly scared Vittoria.

"Robert, what happened?" the physicist asked as she helped him sit up.

"Let's go to the study; I'll explain everything there." Robert said as he stood up and headed towards the room while analyzing the riddle that Lady Nicholaus had left him. The first clue was easy; the city that she referred had been New York City.

_In a city so heavily populated, there should be hundred or thousands of religious temples and she didn't specify which religion…_Langdon thought, remembering with half a heart of New York's massive population, for in its 321 mile area were 8.1 millions souls. Souls that would fall to whatever Nicholaus were planning. _On to the next hint…_

Many religions that are followed today have similar storylines that involve a serpent and a bird. The snake represented evil, wickedness contrary to the ancient demonstration, in which the snake meant knowledge. This meaning escaped the onslaught of the Roman Catholic Church and became the symbol of medicine. The bird's meaning would vary in each faith, although the basic concept of it being an omen has changed little. The crow changed from a bird of wisdom to the universal marker that death was near, simply because the pagan healers, soothsayers and alleged witches would use them. However; a white bird, like a dove, remained a benevolent apparition. And in a city so multicultural like New York City, every religion and its dividends had an important center of prayer in that relatively small stretch of land compared to the eponymous state.

"Shit." The professor thought out loud as he threw himself onto a chair, startling Vittoria.

"What's wrong?" she asked, worried about the man. He had just left a coma-like trance without any assistance, and being a yoga master herself she knew that the suddenness of his awakening could not be healthy.

"Nicholaus is in a temple in New York City and I can't seem to locate it. All she said that it was one of the holiest places in the city, where a serpent and a bird were meant to fight to the end." Langdon explained, rubbing his eyes in a gesture to rack up some sort of missing link.

"Nicholaus always did mock the Christian faith so it has to be a Christian temple." Raphael stated, remembering his brother make mention of the fact.

"That leaves us with at least 100 temples." Vittoria said, rounding the estimate. "Robert, do you have a computer with an Internet connection?"

Langdon merely pointed to the machine, reviewing what the archangel just mentioned. The snake and the bird were indeed major characters in the Christian faith. The serpent represented the devil and the bird, in other words the dove, represented the Holy Spirit, one of the three representations in the Holy Trinity. Then it struck him as Vittoria logged on to his computer user.

"Vittoria, I need you to look for any cathedrals pre-1890." Langdon requested as he looked for a tri-state map of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. He laid it out on the vast floor of his study while Vittoria began to execute the search.

"Raphael, bring me a marker from Vittoria's desk." The professor ordered, folding the map to only show the larger state. The angel ran off to get the item but remained a tad confused.

_Did Robert really find it in such a short time?_ Raphael thought as he handed over the Sharpie marker and sat besides Robert.

"Why do you want to use that timeframe?" Vittoria asked, typing rapidly the key words.

"The battle between God and the devil, in this case the dove versus the serpent, has gone on since the beginning of time according to the Bible, right? But temples to the Christian faith appear much later, especially on American soil. These begin as simple wooden houses or smaller buildings compared to the masterpieces in Europe. All major cathedrals were built during the 1800's, right about the time the higher classmen became enthralled with the Gothic style." Robert explained, crossing out other temples to narrow his search and circled others.

An electronic melody signaled the woman that the search had been completed. Around 20 temples remained in the last and Mickey was nearing 7:20 pm.

"Still too many." Raphael read, giving a surrendered sigh.

"Look for any famous Catholic cathedrals in New York City." Robert insisted.

Vittoria retyped the keywords and after two seconds, it reappeared with less than 5.

_Time's running out, blood bag…_ Nicholaus' voice mocked in Robert's mind.

"There's just two. Let's put in the patron saint of the city." The physicist added.

One last melody and Robert then circled one medium-sized block between 50th Street and the famous Fifth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan.

"She's here…I'm positive." Robert stated before leaving to change his shredded blood-soaked clothes for something more complete.

* * *

A/N: Whoa! 18th Chappie! I like leaving people hanging...>D ph33r d-chan! Reviews are appreciated!


	19. Nicholle D'Pietre

_A/N: Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra and whatever plotline they had before this is not mine, it's Dan Brown's so no suing the pinguin!_

* * *

XIX

Nicholaus seemed pleased with herself. She held in her power her sacrifice, the younger of the scientists that Amelia and Wolfren had found. His glazed eyes were clear signs of her overpowering of his mind. Her ivory claws grazed the man's throat and she chuckled in a sexually charged manner. _I have come a long way from the Rouge…_

Nicholaus was born Nicholle D'Pietre, a poor farm girl from rural Versailles in 1639. Her mother and little brother had been killed during the Black Death, leaving her with her sinful father, Jacques. Jacques was a gambling man, losing little by little whatever his departed wife had scrunched up in her simple seamstress life. Nicholaus still remembered that fateful night, May 13, 1658, when her father sold his 18-year-old daughter to the brothel named Rouge. Nicholle was taught to never scream or complain and always to satisfy at the disgraced business. She learned to keep her mouth shut while decrepit men and sometimes bored housewives took her dignity over and over for a couple of francs at a time.

It was with one recurring customer that she became a vampire. Her dying body was about to give one last orgasm before the red-haired noble proposed her.

_You will suffer no more, you will laugh at the Black Death and your beauty will be born again…_he told her as he thrust into her weakened body. The satin sheets lay covered in Nicholle's blood as she accepted the dark gift. She felt death escape through her lips, as her eyes gained a murderous shine. Her first words were,

_I want more…_

Nicholle abandoned the values her dead mother had instilled in her for the exorbitant life she had newly acquired. She became a favorite in the brothel for she could satisfy any man without the possibility of exhaustion. It was until a very influential noble slipped into her grasp that she became a powerful vampire. Through sex and selling her body to immortality she transformed from poor farm girl to one of France's most eligible noblewoman. All she had to do was eliminate any strain of her peasant life; including her drunken father.

It was July 24, 1669 when she arrived to the forgotten D'Pietre cottage. Nicholle smiled ever so sweetly as she greeted her feeble patriarch and slipped arsenic into his bottle. She sat on a chair and laced a tablecloth as her father left the world, his internal organs reduced to globs.

Nicholle also realized of the threat of the sun on her immortal skin. She began to research on any way to reverse it. Unfortunately, her last chance was killed in the Black Death. But she kept on, mastering the art of seducing souls and acquiring more power in the Vampire underworld, her covenant growing to an outstanding 110 members. When she saw the fledgling nation of the United States of America, Nicholle quickly caught the next boat and decided to conquer its vampire organizations.

It was also here that she dropped the name in which she was baptized and became Nicholaus. Her takeover was swift and bloody, rivaling the losses at the Revolution. But it was 300 years later that her wish was granted in the most inconvenient of ways.

Her newly acquired Kimera was tailing the runaway descendant of Báthory, her daughter Katalin through the streets of Los Angeles some 30 years earlier and that night Nicholaus had decided to accompany him. Before she jumped the Golden Bridge to a watery grave, she screamed loudly in a broken English,

"You may kill me now but there is one more and he will destroy you. Mark my words."

Kimera scoffed, he had double-checked and Katalin was the last Original. It was until Katalin jumped when Nicholaus realized what she meant.

_There is another with her blood?_

It took three decades to track the lone recipient, yet he was still unfit to give her the Gift of the Sun. But Robert Langdon was perfect to bring back Báthory. The woman that Kimera had brought was perfect, for the lone reason that she saw the events that went on in the Vatican conclave; Vittoria Vetra was a virgin with a fiery soul, perfect for the countess' body. Too bad she wasn't as pure when she was brought in, but good bait was never at a loss.

The moon shone brightly on the positioned corpse as Amelia began the soul extraction of the scientist. Nicholaus readied the vial, the blood gleaming as she poured into a bag of intravenous liquid. She gave the bag to Wolfren as she stepped out to welcome the revived countess. As soon as she acquired the gift, she would dispose of Báthory and she alone would have the Gift.

_And now, I shall become the Bloody Countess…_

She never thought of the consequences of invoking Langdon's newly released immortal wrath.

* * *

A/N: Chappter 19! None of my other fanfics has gone this far and still be intelligible! Reviews are appreaciated! I'll probably put up a reference chapter so the reader (that's you) can read and slightly clear up anything that was left behind, just a li'l help from yours truly, the pinguin! Enjoy!


	20. St Patrick Cathedral

_A/N:Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are not mine, they are Dan Brown's so no suing the pinguin's ass, ok?_

_Ha! Chapter 20!Sorry I took so long, i had a lot of standardized test trouble, plus i almost ran out of inspiration. I don't who you call asell-out but hearingHIM'sDark Light album just gets me pumped to write this fanfic, yesh the pinguin is weird.

* * *

_

XX

The new St. Patrick's Cathedral is a wonder on its own, standing against the urban flavor that dominated its location. It stands as the largest Gothic Cathedral in both the state and the Union. There, many would come to hear the Gospels the New Testament had left them but that particular night, it would be housing one of the most powerful vampires in modern history. Robert was full aware of the fact that there were more than 10 beautifully decorated chambers in such a structure, but he rested assured of Nicholaus' position.

He had barely any time to change; Raphael warned him that he was probably already too late, but he could sense that the Lady wanted to make a splash just for him. In his roughened hand held the archangel's gun and the other to Raphael's as they flew past the towering skyscrapers.

Langdon's eyes were fixed to the risen moon intently as the focus of his attention drew closer.

_I'd better be right about this…_he thought as they landed on the lush park grass that surrounded the cathedral.

Raphael also had his reservations, not with the location but with his partner. His mind told him to keep his mouth shut about what he found out but his heart told him to spit it out. And last time he listened to his heart, he was taken off the Nicholaus case.

They had left Vittoria in the nearest hotel possible, just in case they needed a hiding place with many witnesses.

Robert stood in front of the imposing doors as Raphael readied their weapons with respective bullets.

"You sure you can do this?" the archangel asked as he handed the massive gun to the professor. Robert smirked a bit as he replied,

"I think, but I'm more worried about you."

"And why would that be?"

"_Thou shall not kill_ ring any bells?"

"They're undead, Robert, I think shooting them isn't going to do a thing." As Raphael said this, Robert heard the distinct sound of a light, unnatural trot. He pushed the archangel and shot the rosemary shrubs. Sure enough, a vampire lounged at them at full throttle. Raphael then placed his hand in the creature's bosom and in an instant; the vampire became ash in the wind. The archangel then gave a scolding look to the professor.

In his shock, Langdon could only muster; "I swear that was a fluke."

"Yeah well, don't have any more 'flukes' near my head! I may not die but bullets still hurt like hell!" Raphael reprimanded, reloading Robert's gun.

"I thought angels couldn't say hell."

"Let's just go in!" Raphael yelled as Robert opened the door, a small grin lining his face.

The magnitude of St. Patrick's Cathedral major hall was rivaling that of its outside demeanor; the smooth checkered floor and arabesque arches a calling card to its European counterparts. Every window and decoration tinted with images of Jesus' crucifixion, a masterful reminder of Christ's ultimate sacrifice for humanity's sins. But the true eye-catcher of this architecture was at the end of said hall. In the farthermost area was the temple itself, the Station of The Cross. The moon shone against the golden structure, its light bouncing unto the awaiting lady. Robert called her name thunderously while Raphael stood him silent. Many of her followers stood up, all still scarred from the disastrous ball.

A subtle shushing sound made all the vampires sit down as Nicholaus walked up from the nearby crypts. In her hands was the writhe body of the missing scientist, her lips smiling deliciously.

"You came just in time, blood bag." Robert heard Kimera's voice as he sneaked up from behind. "Miss Báthory's just about to come up."

"You mean…" Robert realized what he meant and glared at the Basque vampire. Kimera was appropriately dressed for the occasion; black pleather lined his medium frame, his raven hair tied in a high ponytail, framing his malicious face just right.

"You see, Langdon, for there to be life one must have death, it is a balance you have so many times declared as God's will. And for each new life, one must be snuffed out." Nicholaus explained in her sultry monotone as she dropped the scientist to the marbled floor with a sickening sound as it landed.

"All you did was blasphemy, Nicholaus." Raphael declared emotionless.

"All I did was reinstate God's own law." The vampire smiled, revealing her satisfied fangs.

Robert couldn't believe what came out of Nicholaus' mouth; had she really brought a corpse back to life?

_It's just not possible!_ He strained his mind, looking for any solutions, any logic, or any explanation for what was going on.

Almost automatically, he raised the gun up to the lady's smiling face and hastily pulled the trigger. The bullet flew past the empty hallway into Nicholaus' skull, into her forehead, the force of the projectile causing her body to fall back tremendously onto the tiled ground.

"Finally, we can play!" Kimera exclaimed as he drew his claws at Langdon. Kimera was an expert at smelling fear and boldly took a whiff of the cathedral's air. He could sense it in the imprisoned parish, on his fellow vampires, on the angel…but not his target.

Robert merely turned to face the ravenous creature, his blue eyes as cold as his soul would let him. The gun glistened against the moonlight as he raised it to Kimera's face, his expression clearly read:

_You want to play? Fine, let's._

"Raphael, get the parish out of here and anyone else, I want you out of here." The man ordered as Kimera came closer.

"But!"

It only took that one protest to release part of the monster that had taken root in Robert's being ever since the fateful bite.

"Get out!" he screamed, his eyes fully crimson, as he shot Kimera. Kimera merely dodged the bullet and sprinted towards Robert's vulnerable abdomen. Langdon stepped back and grabbed Kimera's ponytail. With a surging force, he smashed the vampire into the commuter's bench, breaking the lacquered piece in two. Raphael took heed and ran towards the eastern door, lifting off just enough to be out of reach of the cowering vampires.

_At least he'll be safe…_Robert comforted himself as he saw Raphael disappear through the thick door. Suddenly he felt a powerful jerk in his bitten arm and quickly looked at what happened. Kimera was grinning as he dug his claws into the scarring wound, which in reaction drew a pain-ridden yell from Robert's mouth. With his remaining hand, the vampire took hold on the rest of Robert's arm and with the ensuing pull, landing a rough kick in the professor's face. Langdon fell thrashing unto the next cubicle, his blood splattering the gossamer features.

"Did you really think you'd beat me that easily?" Langdon heard Kimera say as he tried to stand up. He could see the firearm through the wooden mess.

"No, I had a feeling I wouldn't." Robert managed to say as he kicked Kimera in his stomach, stunning him momentarily. Suddenly, he saw that the other bloodsuckers had begun surrounding him while he had tried to stand up. As in the party, Robert felt his senses become ten times more sensitive and began scanning through the crowd, looking for a weak link among them. After finding no such link, his body leaped up and held on to the cast arches that supported the cathedral. At such a height, Langdon's common sense came back.

_How'd the hell did I do THAT? _He thought incredulously as Kimera and the other vampires began to catch up. As they drew nearer, he prayed that he could be able to do it again and dropped the 50 feet or more to the ground. He landed on his feet rather bluntly and took off towards the Station of The Cross as his wounds began regenerating. As the vampires drew closer, Robert quickly smashed the wine chalice and threw it at the nearest vampire's face and ducked under the altar. He then quickly took aim and shot two female vampires into their bosoms. Robert quickly darted out and sprayed the residue alcohol onto the remaining demons.

Suddenly he felt the overpowering presence of Wolfren behind him and quickly skidded to the right, completely evading the devastating thrusts. Langdon kept evading, his steps never faltering as they drew closer to the baptism fountain, their eyes locked onto each other. It was until Wolfren drew back that Robert confirmed what Hollywood had been claiming since the 1950s.

"Can't touch anything holy, can you?" Robert chided, taking a needed breath of air. Wolfren stood his ground quietly, waiting the moment that his victim stepped out of the sacred relic. Robert began to relax a bit, apparently just enough for his eyes to revert to normal as if his own body was locking away the monster. At least temporarily.

"You're right but you're dead anyways. If you stay there, you'll leave everyone else in danger, meaning the angel and if you step out, I'll kill you." the black vampire explained in a smug smirk on his face.

"Then I'll have to kill you from here." Langdon said as he thought of a way of accomplishing a feat. Suddenly, he remembered a fact that Hollywood and the Church had always stated and quickly grabbed a piece of the shattered glass that lay from him destroying the chalice. He then dipped in the small fountain and threw it directly at Wolfren's throat. As the vampire fell to the ground, his body slowly melting from the shard's landing, Langdon quickly surveyed the surroundings, his blue eyes darting at every shadow.

In the moment that Wolfren's last breath expired, the cathedral became strangely quiet. Robert stepped out of the bath's protection, his blue eyes surveying every shadow, any preternatural movement. He ran softly over to his weapon and quickly took aim. The eerie silence made Langdon perceptive, anticipating Kimera's next move. He began walking towards the Station, his gun ready to fire.

"What happened? You were much more fun when you had red eyes." He heard the unnatural sound of Kimera's voice. He was welcoming the monster but Robert decided to call off the bluff.

"Strange, I thought I saw fear in your eyes." The professor replied, his eyes darting to the tinted windows. He then heard a loud drop and a lively sprint heading towards him. Langdon found himself held by the throat by the vicious creature, its eyes riddled with rage while its grip grew tighter.

"I was and I will never be afraid of a mere mortal." Kimera stated as Robert began to choke. In Robert's mind, the monster released itself and swiftly took over the rest of the body. With the preternatural strength, Robert screamed and took a forceful bite into Kimera's hands. As Kimera drew back in anguish, Langdon spat out the blood and headed towards him, he threw his gun to the floor and said,

"But I'm not a mere mortal, am I?"

And began attacking Kimera with his bare hands. Kimera slashed through Langdon's face while the professor aimed the throat, both acting on a primal instinct of hacking the other to pieces, splattering their blood upon whatever surface was unfortunate to be in their path.

In a moment's distraction, Kimera bit off a part of Robert's shoulder, causing him to scream in pain. Langdon fell back but immediately took advantage of the location and tackled Kimera to the nearby crucifix. As the vampire languished, Robert quickly ripped out the monster's heart; the forgotten organ glistening as it was tossed aside as its owner convulsed to the end. Robert dropped to the floor and gasped for air.

_Hurry up Raphael…

* * *

_

A/N: Chapter 20! w00t! this one ish long and complex! Reviews are greatly appreciated and sorry again for the delay! 


	21. Avedia

_A/N:Sorry I took so long! I just had a writer's block on this story... You know the drill Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are Dan's Brown so no suing_

_Enjoy!

* * *

_

XXI

Raphael hurriedly searched around the administrative office for the missing parish. He had done enough research to know that Nicholaus would stop at nothing to acquire what she wanted, murder was her favorite medium to do so. Barachiel's disappearances not only shock his comrades but also brought fear into them; had he fallen from grace or had he been murdered? Raphael shook away the thought of his brother being dead and ransacked the nearby utility closet.

_Please be alive…_he thought while his search turned out empty. Suddenly, he felt a malignant presence enter the room, a careful gait that headed for his position. Raphael remained quiet and calm, his hand reaching for his smaller weapon, a derringer firearm neatly hidden in his sweater.

"Let me guess, Amelia Dickinson?" he asked, his hand already grazing the trigger and the handle and never turning around to see.

Her shrill Valley laugh filled the room, showing she was clearly amused at the angel's assumption. "Damn, you are good." Amelia responded as she walked towards Raphael. She grinned to show her fangs, as to try to scare away Raphael's relaxed stance.

"Amelia Dickinson, age of death: 23, method of death: suicide by pain-killer overdose, motive for vampirism: revenge on unfaithful companion. Of course I'd remember you, you were my first mortal case." Raphael stated, his index finger silently placing itself on the trigger.

"That's sweet. Listen, I'll make you a deal; you let me have the old pig and I'll let you go see your friend. The blood bag's probably dead anyways." The blonde suggested as she momentarily stopped; she had to see the angel's reaction.

"Bad idea." Was all Raphael could say before he swiftly drew out the gun and in a split second pulled the trigger. Amelia evaded the projectile at a break-neck speed, only scratching her ivory face.

"You're one naughty angel, aren't you?" the vampire exclaimed, growing more excited at the archangel's actions. "Haven't seen one with an aim that good since…" she lured Raphael.

"It's an honor." Raphael spat back as he pointed the weapon at Amelia's face. Two more shots rang out and a disgusting scream ran through the halls of the cathedral. Raphael then ran out the door and hastily searched for another while Amelia's face fell to the floor in pieces and splattered onto the walls.

_I just bought myself some good three minutes, considering the wounds…where could that parish be! _The archangel surmised while he looked all over the following room and hurried to the next. Unknown to Raphael, his damage to Amelia had caused a massive explosion of blood, enough to draw out an evil that had been reborn in the lower crypts of the cathedral. And that evil had become hungry for flesh once more.

Amelia was already halfway from recovering her face, her rage fueling the healing process.

_How dare that little slut shoot my face! _Became her only thought as she followed the angel's scent to the impressive marble halls. In her rage, she didn't notice the trail of scarlet that dripped from her wounds. Amelia had no idea until she heard a step that wasn't her own. She turned around, trying to catch her stalker but all she saw was the moonlight corridor.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" she screamed, drawing her glass claws out. An eerie silence was the only answer she got, one that made her aware that she was clearly alone. As she turned around, she was caught off-guard by a shadowy figure right in front of her.

"Who the hell…"

Amelia never finished her sentence as she was swiftly decapitated. As her headless body fell down, the creature licked the blood off her blade-like nails. In a foreign language, she laughed and stole Amelia's clothes while picking up Raphael's scent…

"Is anyone here?" Raphael yelled in the spacious hallway, hoping for an answer. A slight rustle of wind ran through the halls as the archangel ran to the lower shafts. The smell of blood matched the crimson that lined the old-fashioned bricks that supported the halls. Raphael could sense death plague the surroundings and said a quick prayer for the dead. There was no need to go where nothing could be saved.

_I was too late…I'm sorry, Robert._

Almost instantaneously, the angel felt an overpowering presence drawing near to his location. It couldn't be Nicholaus…could it? Raphael thought, but decided not to stick around to find out. He ran through the dilapidated halls towards the Station of the Cross-, his youthful breaths unintentionally attracting the unexplained creature to his position. Raphael sped up his sprint, hoping that it would desert him as he drew closer to the main altar. He called for Robert, screaming for the professor. Their eyes met just as Raphael stopped dead. Robert could only watch as one of Raphael's wings was ripped from his back and the angel dropped lifeless to the floor.

"Come closer, child, I must see you." The shadows drew apart as they revealed what Langdon had feared; the imposing frame of Elizabeth Báthory holding what remained of Raphael's wing.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 21 and a cliffie! >3 Reviews are greatly appreciated! 


	22. Bloody murder at the Cathedral

_A/N: The big ol' Chapter 22...oh boy XD Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are not mine so no suing..._

_Enjoy!

* * *

_

XXII

Robert couldn't help himself from dragging Raphael towards him and away from the resurfaced monster. The archangel was unconscious, his lively honey eyes staring into the emptiness and his back bleeding profusely. As the professor tried to mend the angel, Báthory drew closer, her features gleaming against the quarter moon. Her black mane fell on forgotten rags, her malevolent olive eye fixed on her prey.

"You are…Langdon? I expected someone more powerful than a miserable human." The words hissed out of the faint lips like acid into Langdon's ears.

"What did you do to him!" Robert screamed, holding Raphael close, sensing small hazy breaths upon his skin.

"Child's play. Had I ripped them both your slave would have died." Báthory responded now unbearably close to the kneeling man. She grinned; the man's reaction was to be expected. "Angels can be killed, just like anything that has a life."

"Don't you dare preach me about life!" Langdon yelled defensively, protecting Raphael with the almost-empty gun that killed Nicholaus. Langdon could already sense the overwhelming shadows of death surrounding the reborn demon.

"And soon you will join me for we are the same." The thick Hungarian accent drove into Langdon's mind, the monster rising from the depths of his mind once more.

"Not after I kill you." The professor retorted, his blue eyes finally meeting with hers with a killing glare as he pulled the trigger. The bullet went through Báthory's century-old skin and shattered a saint's statuette. A deep rich chortle raced in the vampire as the tissues regenerated.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" she retorted and with a flick of her hands caught the bullet. With her regained preternatural strength, Báthory flicked the small projectile back to its owner, slamming it into the soft lung that lay beneath the cotton sweater. The recoil caused Langdon to crash into the communion table headfirst, destroying whatever stood after the clan massacre previous to this.

Raphael was defenseless as Báthory wobbled closer. _Impudent Nicholle, using a weak-willed soul to restore me…this angel will do _she thought as she took hold of the archangel once more. And once more she was stopped by the mortal, now with a shard of glass laced with blessed water driven into her outstretched arm. She dropped it, her rage mounting while her attacker gasped for air.

"Leave him alone." Was all she heard, staring into the tinted eyes of an Original.

"Do you think you will become mortal once more if you murder me?" Báthory chuckled, recognizing the angel was the middle ground between her and Langdon. She knew the ensuing tremble of doubt that ran through her opponent. "Your angel friend has deceived you; you were never meant to return to your original state. You are to remain as you are."

"Raphael said that I had to kill Nicholaus and anyone who belong to her covenant and I would turn back to normal." Langdon stated, his hand holding the gun vacillating.

"You were never human…not since your childhood!" Báthory claimed gleefully, fully knowing she was picking away at Langdon's confidence. It was a proven battle mechanism to pine away at the enemy's self-assurance, his beliefs, and his heart. "Think, how could you have survived so long, how could you live on when you clearly should have died? Especially after the massive lacerations within your feeble body as a child?"

Langdon merely stood, realizing the magnitude and significance of Báthory's words…

_It can't be true…_

While Robert fought inside his mind, Báthory immediately took whole of the situation and lounged a full-blown attack on the man; tossing him, shredding him and ripping him apart. Blood sprayed the environment, enticing the monster to slaughter on at the numbed victim. When she finally decided to land the lethal blow, the vampire tossed Langdon towards the Holy Cross, smashing the body against the lacquered wood.

"Look at yourself, child! Look at the one you should thank for your misery!" she screamed maniacally. Robert tried to stand up but slipped with his own blood and fell back, his head arched towards the face of Christ. _Please help me…_he begged in his mind, for any miracle to get him out of the darkness.

"Don't listen to her!" Robert heard a familiar voice yelled. The weakened professor reluctantly searched for the yell and found the miracle he was praying for; to Báthory's chagrin was Raphael standing up, holding his arm tightly, his mouth bleeding and his eye lit with retribution.

"How can you be alive?" the vampire inquired annoyed at the angel's resilience.

Raphael ignored her and limped to Langdon's side, each step drawing a pang of pain. "Robert, I'm sorry I hid the truth. I was going to tell you but…" Suddenly tears welled up in the archangel's eyes as he stared into the man's empty eyes. "Please don't give up, I would never forgive myself for what I did." He sobbed slightly.

"You better mean my Quik." Raphael heard and looked up to a grinning Langdon. The angel ceased his sobbing and quickly helped the professor up. Báthory stood silent yet smiling at the pair's futile attempts.

"Erzsébet, you will let the angel go." Robert's voice thundered across the temple.

"I see no gain for me if I do." The vampire stated matter-of-factly. _What is that human scheming? _

"If you let him go, I'll trade myself." Robert continued, Raphael surprised.

"I already am what I am; I have no use for you." She replied.

"Of course you do. You want a lover, don't you?" Langdon explained, making the angel throw up a little in his mouth. "Think about it, Erzsébet; someone for you to spend eternity with, someone that will satisfy you and never complain, someone your equal."

"Langdon are you crazy!" the archangel exclaimed before he was pushed away by the professor. Raphael knew that humans were unpredictable but this one took the cake. "What about Vittoria?" he frantically asked while Robert began walking towards Báthory.

Robert stared back at Raphael with the coldest eyes the angel had ever seen when he responded, "Why would I need mortal flesh when I can have the eternal forbidden fruit?"

Báthory gleamed maliciously as she wrapped her arms around Langdon's neck and drew for a binding lip-lock. "It is all as it should be, child. You are my beloved and everything else is ashes." She muttered under her breath, her mouth already savoring the man's lips.

Raphael couldn't help turning away, mad at Robert for actually giving up when they had a fighting chance. As Robert prepared to kiss he whispered, "Too bad I'm not much good on the bed."

Suddenly, a deathly shrill rang through the entire cathedral. Raphael quickly faced the pair, his jaw dropping in the process. With the bright light of the quarter moon, he saw Robert holding Báthory tightly, as in a rigid hug. The gurgling noises that followed came from the vampire's mouth as it bubbled crimson over Langdon's shoulder while he stroked her hair.

"What did you do to me?" Erzsébet asked, her falsely acquired life quickly vanishing.

There was no need to explain as the moon shone to a clawed hand that went though the vampire's heart. As Báthory withered away into her previous state, Raphael ran to his friend's side and watched as time once again caught up to the reanimated corpse. When it finally reverted to a mummy, Robert shook it off and licked the blood from his fingers, savoring each drop.

Not surprisingly, Raphael smacked the back of Robert's head. "OW! What the hell was that for!" the professor exclaimed, rubbing his hand on the forming bump.

"For tricking me into thinking that you actually gave up! You worried me to death!" the archangel scolded, causing Robert to laugh heartily.

"As if I'd give up a one-night stand with an Italian woman and Christmas." Langdon chided as they left.

"Hey what about Nicholaus?" Raphael inquired, rather curious why such a powerful bloodsucker had ironically fallen with just one bullet. Robert simply sighed and said, "Maybe we got lucky. Now come on, I bet Vittoria is fuming right now."

* * *

A/N: OHMYGAWD IT'S ALMOST FINISHED! Reviews are greatly appreciated! 


	23. Epilogue for One Wish for The Damned

_A/N: This is it! The last Chapter of One Wish for the Damned! Thank you for the reviews, the hits and everything else! Hope you enjoy it and again thank you!_

_att. the pinguin_

_Disclaimer-Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra are Dan Brown's, no suing

* * *

_

XXIII

The Plaza hotel is a New York City landmark, one that caters to its guests' whims, as long as the have the spare hundreds to do so. In its magnificent lobby, however, was a waiting Vittoria Vetra, justifiably anxious with Sefirot at her side. Both were waiting for news about Robert and Raphael's well-beings. The Dominion was one that never sugarcoated any situation and that night was no exception. Vittoria had also packed a derringer, provided by Sefirot, which was hidden in a holster within the pants that she had borrowed earlier. Throughout the whole night, she and the angel had seen peculiar things, such as strange men moving about staring at them, pale women whispering about supremacy or something along the line.

"We must expect the worst from these kinds of situations." Sefirot said while he drank some of the tea provided by the staff. Vittoria squinted her eyes in a glare, already noticing the funeral aspect that Sefirot carried with him. Hell, even his Armani suit said, "They're dead, so get on with your life."

"You are a regular ray of sunshine back home aren't you?" the physicist remarked sarcastically.

Sefirot put down his cup and stared directly at Vittoria. "Miss Vetra, even if they accomplish their goal and stop Báthory's reanimation, they'd still have to fight her covenant." He explained soberly.

_No shit…they're a pack of twisted people from what I found out _Vittoria thought as she remembered an earlier chat she had had with the Dominion. It seemed that Nicholaus had formed her pack with the weakest of society's links; Amelia Dickinson had committed a botched suicide in order to get revenge on her boyfriend, Wolfren Armstrong was a wronged man whose family was brutally murdered by an offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan. But the most disturbing fact that the angel related to the scientist was Kimera; he had been a child mercenary that enjoyed drinking the blood of his victims long before he turned batty. All wanted one thing, one wish; the simple yet powerful desire for revenge on humanity.

"I trust Robert with my life…I'm sure he'll be fine." She replied with a weary but kind smile.

But as the night dragged on, her hope began to wane. Vittoria would get excited whenever someone went through the glass doors only to be disillusioned. Reality was about to sink in when the grandfather clocked ringed 2 am. She raised her sights to the elaborate hands and began to silently cry. Sefirot sighed reluctantly as he said,

"Raphael was a good angel…his brother would be proud.

"What's this about using past tense?" a cheery voice ringed in the Dominion's ears. He quickly spun around and, as his steely green eyes grew warm again, embraced the blonde archangel that awaited him. Vittoria joined in the exchange but became even more worried.

"Raphael…where is Langdon?" she inquired, her hope depending on Raphael's answer.

The angel's childlike face sobered almost immediately after the physicist spoke the professor's name. Vittoria's hope flickered dangerously, her face filled with sadness and horror. _Had Robert…_

She felt a light tap on her shoulder as to call her attention. She hesitated to turn around, her head looking at the floor to hide her tears. But when she did, she was met with a rather large sunflower bouquet. She shrieked and dropped to her floor flat on her rear while she heard a wholesome laugh that she knew so well.

"I knew you'd be surprised to see me but this is too much!" Robert joked as he helped Vittoria up. He was immediately slapped but he took it in stride and again offered the bouquet.

"I heard you liked sunflowers." Langdon said, his voice relaxed and his expression soft as he handed the flowery gift to his beloved.

Vittoria's tearful face revealed a smile, "Where'd you hear that?"

"Your father's journal." Langdon replied as he cleaned the tears off Vittoria's face with a bloody thumb. Vittoria dropped the flowers and began kissing the professor. As Robert returned the affection, he thought while the world around him melted into nothing, _I'm not going to lose you again…_

_Three weeks later…_

Langdon had avoided going near New York, much less the Harvard wing where the first murder took place. The cemetery was a much more peaceful place than the city in his opinion. Especially to mourn for the dead. The professor placed a small garland on top of a modest tombstone and began to pray for a bit. He grinned slightly as he felt a familiar presence walk towards him.

"Come to mourn the dead? I thought angels could see the souls." Langdon asked, finishing his prayer and turning his sights to the angel.

"Not my department but sure." Raphael replied with a smile.

"So how's your wing?" the professor inquired as they began walking to his new car, a sedan model to replace the one he had lost. Raphael shrugged, "Could be better."

As Robert turned on the machine, he asked, "All right, tell the what's wrong."

The archangel chuckled a bit while applying the seatbelt, "Nothing gets past you, eh Robert?"

"That and the fact that the only times you come down is when there's trouble or when you want my Quik, which by the way you owe me four cans." The professor clarified humorously.

"Ever since you killed off Nicholaus and Báthory, you threw the preternatural community in a confusion of sorts." Raphael explained.

"Not my problem. I'm a Harvard professor of symbology, not Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I don't have the time or the patience to deal with things like that. " Robert responded as he reversed the car and began heading for his home.

"I thought as much." Raphael sighed, putting his sights on the ongoing road.

"But you know my help is at your beck and call." Robert stated with a smile. "So anything on Delilah?"

"She's on suicide watch back at the institution, She's been like that ever since the NYPD found Amelia's ID in a mess of body parts." The archangel told the professor, causing Robert to wince slightly. "Guess we know what happened to the parish."

In the three weeks that had gone by, the investigations of the murders had become stagnant and Sefirot warned Langdon and Vittoria not to reveal what had truly happened. _Humanity isn't ready to accept the truth about their next-door neighbors,_ Robert repeated in his mind, especially when it came time to testify in a court of law for the janitor case.

"Heard Vittoria's moving in with you." Raphael smirked, causing Robert to laugh a bit.

"Yeah, she is. Convinced CERN that she doing some experiments here in America."

As they road became the highway, Raphael talk about all the trouble that his actions had caused back home, especially with Gabriel.

"I never did find out why that one single bullet killed Nicholaus." Robert thought out loud as he drove through some suburbs. "We got lucky that my blood got on the bullet that went through her head. It killed her on the spot." Raphael explained sheepishly. The ride went silent after the revelation. After they arrived at Robert's place, Raphael sighed sadly, "I hope you have a happy life Langdon."

"Why are you already saying goodbye? Aren't you here for a case or something?" Langdon grinned as he invited Raphael to his home.

"But you said no more preternatural!" the archangel exclaimed confused.

"I meant me going around killing around like a maniac." Robert explained with a grin. His face sobered up as he added, "I know there's a power struggle and you know as well as I do that I know shit of the supernatural and Vittoria says that it's best if you keep close ties here."

The angel gleamed as he hurried inside and related the facts about a murder with what he said it was a UFO symbol, which earned in a slap on the back the head by Robert's doing.

"Apparently you need me just as bad as I do to you." Robert stated as he stepped into his home.

_This immortal blood that runs my veins_

_I am the bridge between heaven and hell_

_END of One Wish for the Damned

* * *

_

A/N: So how was it? Reviews are greatly appreciated! 


End file.
